BO , 

BY  EDWARD  S.ELLIS 


THE 

GAMMANS  POETRY 

COLLECTION 


In  Memory  of 

GEORGE  H.  GAMMANS,  II 

Class  of  1940 

First  Lieutenant  Army  Air  Corps 

Distinguished  Service  Cross 

Missing  in  Action  January  15,  1943 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINA  LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


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This  BOOK  may  be  kept  out  TWO  WEEKS 
ONLY,  and  is  subject  to  a  fine  of  FIVE 
CENTS  a  day  thereafter.  It  is  DUE  on  the 
DAY  indicated  below: 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON  RFINED  UP  AT  JACKS  SIDE,  WITH  THE  CHEERY  SALUTATION, 

how  do  you  do,  my  young  FRIEND?1''—  Page  284.     Frontis.     The  Boy  Patriot. 


The  Boy  Patriot. 


A  STORY  OF 


JACK,  THE  YOUNG  FRIEND  OF  WASHINGTON. 


By  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS. 


**&&■ 


With  Eight  Page  Illustrations  by  J.  Watson  Davis. 


NEW   YORK: 

A.  L.  BURT?  PUBLISHER. 


Copyright,  1900,  by  A.  L.  BURT. 


THE    BOY    PATRIOT. 
By  Edward  S.  Ellis. 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter.  page 

I.  Young  Patriot  and  Young  Tory 1 

II.  Down  the  Delaware 15 

III.  Trenton,  1776 32 

IV.  "  Confound  it  !  " 44 

V.  The  Days  that  tried  Men's  Souls 59 

VI.  An  Important  Engagement 72 

VII.  The  Eavesdropper 88 

VIII.  Crossing  the  Delaware 102 

IX.  The  March  to  Trenton 116 

X.  On  Guard 131 

XI.  A  Clever  Trick 145 

XII.  A  Desperate  Chase 159 

XIII.  A  Prisoner 173 

XIV.  Fritz 187 

XV.  Through  Mishap  and  Peril 199 

XVI.  Past  Midnight .' 215 

XVII.  Near  Morning 229 

XVIII.  The  Alarm  238 

XIX.  The  Turning  Point  of  the  Revolution 253 

XX.  On  the  Firing  Line , 264 

XXI.  After  the  Battle 280 

XXII.  Conclusion 294 


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LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


General  Washington  reined  up  at  Jack's  side  with  the 
cheery    salutation,     "How  do    you  do,    my  young 

friend?" Frontis. 

page 

' '  The  one  who  gets  that  gun  has  it  in  his  hands  now, " 
quickly  replied  Mr.  Fitch 38 

: '  I  think  you  will  remember  my  name  when  you  hear  it," 
said  General  Washington 73 

The  Commander-in-Chief  stood  erect,  with  arms  folded, 

looking  off  in  the  darkness  toward  the  Jersey  shore. .  113 

Jack  heard  the  splashing  as  the  young  Tory  leaped  into 
the  water,  and  quickly  the  young  patriot  did  the  same  170 

Jack  suddenly  went  out  of  the  window  head  first  into  a 

pool  of  water 201 

"Give  me  that  letter  to  Col.  Rail,"  demanded  Jack,   "if 
you  want  to  save  your  life. " 226 

"  Mein  Gott,"  he  exclaimed,   throwing  down  the  cards 
and  leaping  to  his  feet,   "  we're  attacked." 252 


The  Boy  Patriot. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

YOUNG  PATEIOT  AND    YOUNG   TORY. 

Jack  Marlton  was  angry  "  clean  through  " 
and  more  dissatisfied  than  he  had  ever  been  in 
his  life. 

You  may  have  noticed  that  now  and  then 
when  a  day  opens  wrong,  everything  gets  askew 
and  matters  grow  worse  with  every  hour.  It 
had  been  that  way  with  Jack,  and,  though  he 
was  naturally  one  of  the  manliest  and  pluckiest 
of  fellows,  I  am  forced  to  admit  that  his  temper 
proved  unequal  to  the  strain,  and  before  night 
came,  he  was  in  a  fighting  mood. 

Now,  as  I  shall  have  a  *pod  deal  to  tell  you 


2  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

concerning  Jack  Marlton,  for  he  is  the  hero  of 
this  story,  it  is  best  that  we  should  have  an  un- 
derstanding about  him,  in  order  that  the  events 
which  follow  shall  be  clear. 

I  never  saw  Jack,  for  he  died  long  before  I 
was  born,  but  I  do  remember  a  number  of  old 
men,  who  knew  him  well,  both  in  youth  and 
manhood,  and  all  told  me  that  he  was  one  of 
the  most  admirable  lads  they  ever  met.  He  was 
fine-looking,  sturdy,  honest  and  truthful,  and 
one  of  the  most  devoted  patriots  that  ever 
lived.  That  he  was  full  of  genuine  American 
bravery  you  will  admit  long  before  you  finish 
this  record  of  his  deeds  and  adventures. 

The  most  irritating  day  which  came  to  Jack 
was  late  in  the  summer  of  1776,  when  he 
lacked  a  few  months  of  the  age  of  sixteen. 
His  home  was  on  the  Pennsylvania  side  of  the 
Delaware  River,  a  few  miles  above  the  city  of 
Trenton,  which  at  that  time  was  only  a  strag- 
gling town. 

His  father,  James  Marlton,  had  served  as  a 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  3 

captain  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  and  in 
the  famous  battle  in  front  of  Quebec,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1759,  he  was  badly  wounded.  His  left 
arm  was  taken  off  close  to  the  shoulder,  and  of 
course  his  fighting  days  were  over.  Besides 
this  he  was  troubled  with  a  permanent  lameness, 
due  to  a  bullet  received  at  Braddock's  massacre. 
In  other  respects,  however,  his  health  was  rug- 
ged, and  you  would  be  surprised  to  see  how 
well  he  got  on  in  tilling  and  cultivating  his 
little  farm  on  the  Bucks  County  side  of  the 
Delaware.  It  seemed  as  if  the  deftness  and 
skill  of  his  former  two  arms  were  concentrated 
in  the  single  one,  and  only  for  a  short  time  did 
he  need  the  help  of  his  neighbors. 

Jack  was  his  only  child,  and  as  he  grew  in 
strength,  his  aid  became  valuable.  He  was  a 
natural  athlete,  a  fine  swimmer,  runner  and 
horseman,  and  cheerfully  gave  all  the  help  he 
could  to  his  parent. 

There  was  a  wide  contrast  between  the  dis- 
position of  the  father  and  mother.     The  latter 


4  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

was  affectionate,  indulgent  and  full  of  emotion. 
She  was  a  great  talker,  but  her  patriotism  rang 
as  true  as  her  husband's,  who  was  silent,  stern, 
rarely  smiling,  and,  although  it  cannot  be 
doubted  that  he  deeply  loved  his  noble  son,  he 
rarely  gave  expression  to  the  feeling.  Perhaps 
the  discipline  of  the  army  led  him  thus  to  con- 
trol his  feelings.  The  boy  inherited  qualities 
from  both  his  parents. 

When  the  Revolution  was  fairly  under  way 
Captain  Marlton  sent  a  letter  to  General  Wash- 
ington, asking  the  privilege  of  helping  his 
country  in  some  one  of  the  many  ways  that  he 
was  sure  could  be  found  for  him.  Washington, 
who  remembered  him  well,  replied  in  a  kindly 
message,  complimenting  him  on  his  patriotism, 
but  assuring  him  that  there  were  enough  able- 
bodied  patriots  in  the  colonies  to  win  their  in- 
dependence, and  insisting  that  the  captain  had 
well  earned  the  privilege  of  devoting  the  rest 
of  his  days  to  the  comfort  of  his  family. 

When   the    veteran    read    the    letter    from 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  5 

Washington,  he  sighed,  looked  lovingly  at  the 
coarse  blue  paper  on  which  the  flowing  words 
appeared  written  with  a  goosequill,  and  thrust 
it  into  his  pocket  without  a  word.  He  had  read 
it  aloud  to  his  wife  and  boy.  After  a  few 
minutes,  he  addressed  Jack. 

"  How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"  I'm  in  my  sixteenth  year,  father." 

u  When  you  are  eighteen,  you  may  enlist — 
that  is  if  you  want  to." 

Jack's  eyes  sparkled.  His  heart  quickened 
with  joy  and  his  handsome  face  glowed.  "  Good ! 
good !  thank  you,  father  !  But  isn't  there  some 
way,"  he  added  with  a  rueful  expression,  "  that 
I  can  hurry  up  and  reach  eighteen  ? " 

"  I  don't  know  of  any ;  maybe  your  mother 
does,"  replied  the  parent,  looking  solemnly  at 
his  wife,  as  if  the  problem,  though  a  serious  one, 
was  capable  of  being  solved  by  a  woman's  wit. 
She  smiled  and  stroked  the  dark  locks  of  her 
boy,  seated  in  his  chair  beside  her,  with  his  hand 
clasping  one  of  hers. 


6  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  My  dear  Jack,  by  and  by  you  won't  be  in 
such  a  hurry  to  have  the  years  rush  past ;  they 
go  fast  enough  as  it  is.  I  shall  be  sorry  to  lose 
you,  but,  if  your  country  has  need  of  your  help, 
and  you  live  to  reach  the  age  of  eighteen,  I  shall 
give  you  up  without  a  murmur  and  follow  you 
with  my  prayers  to  the  end." 

The  father  lit  his  pipe,  crossed  his  legs  and 
said  no  more.  Sitting  by  the  crackling  logs  of 
hickory  on  the  broad  hearth,  his  eyes  remained 
fixed  upon  the  glowing  embers,  while  he  slowly 
puffed  the  smoke  from  between  his  thin  lips  and 
gave  himself  up  to  reverie,  as  was  his  favorite 
custom. 

It  was  a  cool  night  in  autumn,  and  by  and  by 
Jack  bade  his  father  goodnight  and  went  to  his 
room,  whither  his  mother  followed  him,  listen- 
ing to  his  prayer  at  the  bedside,  and  after  he  had 
bounded  into  his  trundle  bed,  she  "  tucked  him 
up,"  leaned  over  and  kissed  him,  and  then  left 
him  to  his  own  communings. 

u  I  wonder  if  there's  any  way  of  my  soon 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  7 

reaching  eighteen,"  muttered  Jack,  giving  ex- 
pression to  his  whimsical  fancies  ;  "  it  seems  to 
me  the  days  weren't  ever  so  long  as  now,  and 
it  will  be  a  week  before  to-morrow  morning. 
It'll  take  a  year  for  the  next  month  to  pass,  and 
Christmas  won't  come  till  after  we've  had  several 
Christmases " 

He  checked  himself  at  the  oddity  of  his  own 
ideas,  for,  if-  he  went  on  at  that  rate,  he  would 
become  so  befogged  that  he  would  be  all  at 
sea.  He  concluded  to  swing  back  upon  solid 
ground. 

"  No  ;  there  isn't'  any  way  of  fixing  things  ;  I 
must  wait,  and  there's  no  use  of  trying  to  coax 
father  to  change  his  mind.  He  said  I  can  be- 
come a  soldier  when  I  reach  the  age  of  eighteen, 
and  he  won't  let  me  enlist  one  day  before  that 
time.  If  I  pester  him,  he  won't  say  a  word  but 
just  take  down  that  strap  over  the  mantelpiece. 
— Queer,  how  well  father  can  use  that  single 
arm  of  his  !  "  added  Jack  in  a  half-scared  voice, 
as  he  recalled  several  episodes  of  his  boyhood  ; 


8  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

u  I'm  sure  lie  couldn't  do  better  if  lie  had  both 
arms,  and  most  fathers  couldn't  do  as  well." 

"  I  wish  I  knew  how  long  the  war  is  going  to 
last,"  he  added,  a  moment  later ;  "  what  I'm 
afraid  of  is  that  it'll  be  over  before  I  get  a 
chance  ;  maybe  it  won't  end  till  they  have  the 
help  of  a  lot  of  young  chaps  like  me — s'pose  it 
should  fail,  just  because  some  of  us  are  only 
boys ! " 

Jack  gasped  at  the  thought.  He  did  not  see 
anything  grotesque  in  the  idea  that  the  success 
of  the  war  for  independence  depended  upon 
himself  and  some  others  equally  youthful,  be- 
cause the  number  of  young  patriots  he  had  in 
mind  was  vague. 

"  There  may  be  several  hundred  of  us,"  was  his 
generous  thought,  u  and  they  must  miss  us.  Too 
bad  that  we  weren't  born  a  few  years  sooner  !  " 

With  a  myriad  of  fancies  running  riot  in  his 
brain,  he  finally  gave  way  to  drowsiness  and 
did  not  open  his  eyes  till  the  gray  light  of  morn- 
ing was   stealing   into  the  small  room   of  his 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  9 

modest  home.  Then  he  bounded  out,  hurriedly 
dressed  himself,  attended  to  his  chores,  and,  as 
soon  as  breakfast  was  finished,  asked  his  father's 
permission  to  run  over  to  see  his  nearest  neigh- 
bor, Aaron  Wagstaff.  The  parent  nodded  his 
head,  without  speaking,  and  Jack  hurried  up  the 
road  in  the  direction  of  the  larger  farm  and  finer 
residence  of  old  Mr.  Sartos  Wagstaff. 

Being  a  near  neighbor,  Jack  and  Aaron  were 
naturally  thrown  a  good  deal  together,  though 
I  am  sorry  to  say  that  the  two  boys  had  more 
fights  than  ought  to  have  been  the  case.  Aaron 
was  fully  a  year  older  than  Jack,  taller  and 
slimmer,  and  not  his  equal  in  physical  dexterity. 
Jack  was  a  better  rider,  swimmer  and  horse- 
man. 

The  bouts  at  fisticuffs  did  not  seem  to  lessen 
a  certain  fondness  the  lads  felt  for  each  other, 
and  they  occasionally  spent  an  eveniog  together, 
playing  checkers,  talking  over  matters  in  which 
they  had  a  mutual  interest,  eating  nuts,  cakes  and 
fruits,  and  drinking  sweet  cider.     Then  perhaps 


10  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

a  quarrel  would  keep  them  apart  for  a  week  or 
more,  when  their  friendship  would  assume  the 
gushing  order,  as  if  to  make  up  for  the  time  lost. 

At  the  school,  which  they  attended  during 
the  winter  months,  Jack  Marlton  led  the  bo)rs 
in  scholarship,  and  Aaron  showed  considerable 
jealousy  over  the  superior  brightness  of  his 
neighbor. 

But  Jack  thought  nothing  of  all  this,  as  he 
trotted  over  the  highway,  for  he  was  eager  to 
tell  his  friend  the  news.  Just  before  reaching 
his  house,  he  met  the  youth  sauntering  in  the 
direction  of  Captain  Marlton's  home. 

"  O  Aaron,  what  do  you  think  ? "  exclaimed 
Jack,  dropping  to  a  walk,  and  then  pausing  in 
front  of  him  ;  "  father  says  when  I'm  eighteen 
years  old  I  can  enlist." 

"  What  of  it  ? "  growled  Aaron,  who  seemed 
to  be  in  a  sulky  mood  that  morning. 

"  I  s'pose  your  father  will  let  you  enlist  too  ; 
you're  a  year  older  than  I,  but  I  want  you  to 
wait  so  we  can  go  together." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  H 

Aaron  scowled  and  looked  at  him  for  a  full 
minute  in  silence. 

"  Say,  Jack,  which  side  do  you  mean  to  'list 
on?" 

But  for  the  expression  on  the  face  of  young 
Wagstaif,  Jack  Marlton  would  not  have  be- 
lieved him  in  earnest. 

That's  a  fine  question  to  ask  me,  Aaron  Wag- 
staff  !  I  wish  I  was  eighteen  years  old  this 
morning  ;  for,  if  I  was,  I'd  never  stop  running 
till  I  reached  General  Washington  and  had  a 
musket  over  my  shoulder." 

"  You're  a  fool !  I  s'pose  you  think  General 
Washington  can't  get  along  without  you ;  you 
always  was  the  most  conceited  boy  I  ever 
knowed." 

"  I  think  Washington  needs  every  patriot  he 
can  get  ;  haven't  you  ever  thought  of  enlist- 
ing  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  father  and  me  have  talked  it  over, 
but,  Jack  Marlton,"  added  the  speaker,  step- 
ping  forward  and   shaking   his   finger   almost 


12  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

against  the  nose  of  the  astounded  lad  ;  "  I  want 
you  to  understand  one  thing :  when  I  do  enlist 
it  will  be  on  the  side  of  King  George,  and  I'll 
do  all  I  can  to  put  down  the  rebels  like  General 
Washington,  you  and  the  rest  of  'em,  that  don't 
know  what  is  best  for  you  and  haven't  a  spark 
of  gratitude  in  3  )ur  hearts.  The  king  ought 
to  hang  all  of  you  !  " 

Young  Marlton  recoiled  a  step,  and  for  a 
moment  or  two  was  too  astounded  to  make  fit- 
ting answer  to  this  avowal.  Then  his  face  flushed 
and  his  eyes  flashed. 

"  The  king  ought  to  hang  me  !  "  repeated  the 
young  patriot,  as  if  he  failed  fully  to  grasp  the 
meaning  of  the  words. 

"  Yes,  hang  you  and  all  of  them  ! "  added  the 
other,  with  a  sneer,  leaning  over  until  his  face 
almost  touched  that  of  Jack ;  "  you  can  hear, 
can't  you  ?  you're  a  traitor  !  " 

"  And  you're  a  Tory,  Aaron  Wagstaff !  If 
you  think  so  much  of  King  George,  why  don't 
you  go  to  England  and  live  under  him  ? " 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  13 

"  I  am  living  under  him ;  this  is  his  country 
as  much  as  England  ;  I  say  he  ought  er  hang 
every  one  of  the  rebels,  and  I  hope  to  see  the 
day  when  you'll  be  dangling  at  the  end  of  a 
rope,  and  I  shall  be  there  to  laugh  at  you  :  do 
you  hear  that  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  can  hear  without  your  yelling  loud 
enough  to  wake  the  dead  ;  I  say  you're  a  Tory 
and  you're  not  fit  to  live  in  America  ;  we're 
going  to  gain  our  independence  and  you  and 
the  rest  of  your   gang  will  beg  for  mercy  from 


us." 


"  Beg  for  mercy  from  the  like  of  you,"  said 
Aaron,  his  face  twisted  into  the  worst  sneer  of 
which  it  was  capable  ;  u  it's  all  well  for  you  to 
talk  of  'listing  when  you're  eighteen  years  old, 
but  why  don't  you  'list  now  ?  " 

"  I'd  be  mighty  glad  to,  if  father  would  let 
me,  but  he  won't." 

"  'Cause  he  thinks  by  that  time  you'll  have  a 
little  sense  in  your  head  and  won't  make  a  fool 
of  yourself." 


14  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  Why  don't  you  enlist  ? " 
"  I'm  thinking  about  it ;  when  you  start  to 
jine  Washington's  ragamuffins  I'll  set  out  to 
jine  the  army  of  King  George,  and  won't  we 
make  you  rebels  dance  !  The  first  thing  we'll 
do  will  be  to  hang  that  General  Washington  of 
yours  that  has  been  put  at  the  head  of  the 
rebels." 

"  Do  you  call  General  Washington  a  rebel  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  a  rebel  and  traitor,  ten  times  over  ! " 

"  By  gracious  !  I  can't  stand  that  !     I  don't 

mind  what   you  call    me,    but  when    you    say 

General  Washington  is  a  traitor,  that  ends  all 

talk!" 

u  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ? " 
"  Sail  in  !     Off  with  your  coat  ! " 
Nothing  loth,  the  young  Tory  doffed  his  coat, 
and  as  soon  he  had  done  so,  the  young  patriot 
proceeded   to   "sail  in,"  in  his  most  vigorous 
fashion. 


the  boy  patriot.  15 


CHAPTER  II. 


DOWN   THE    DELAWARE. 


A  half-hour  later  Jack  Marlton  arrived  at  his 
home.  The  father  scrutinized  hini  closely  as  he 
approached  the  barn,  where  the  parent  was  look- 
ing after  the  two  horses,  and  though  the  boy's 
clothing  was  untorn  and  his  face  unmarked,  the 
other  saw  evidence  of  an  exciting  experience, 
whose  meaning  he  suspected. 

"  Have  you  seen  Aaron  \  "  he  calmly  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir."  . 

"  Did  you  have  a  fight  with  him  ?  " 

uYes,  sir." 

"  I  told  you  last  week  that  I  was  tired  of  this 
fighting  between  you  and  him ;  go  to  the  house 
and  bring  me  the  strap." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  boy,  running  to  the 


16  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

home,  near  at  hand,  and  speedily  reappearing 
with  the  instrument  of  punishment,  which  he 
promptly  handed  to  his  parent. 

"  You  see,  father,  he  called  me " 

"  I  don't  wan't  to  hear  any  explanation ;  it's 

a  disgrace  that  you  can't  live  within  half  a  mile 

of   another    boy  without    fighting  him    almost 

every  time  you  meet ;  take  off  your  coat." 

While  Jack  was  complying,  he  managed  to  say, 

"Aaron    said    General    Washington    was    a 

traitor " 

"  What !  "  thundered  the  parent,  suspend- 
ing the  partly  raised  strap. 

"  Yes,  sir, — and  that  he  ought  to  be  hanged." 
"  And  you  stood  by  and  allowed  him  to  say 
that !     Off  with  your  coat  in  a  hurry  ! " 

"But  I  didn't,  father!  That's  what  we 
fought  about  !  I  told  him  I  didn't  mind  what 
he  called  me,  but  when  he  said  General  Wash- 
ington was  a  traitor  I  couldn't  stand  it  and  must 
sail  in.'1 

"  Well,  what  did  you  do  ? " 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  17 

"Sailed  in." 

"  How  did  you  make  out  ? "  continued  the 
captain,  unconsciously  lowering  the  leather,  but 
not  fully  satisfied. 

"  I  don't  look  as  if  1  suffered  much,"  replied 
Jack  with  a  grin  ;  "  do  I  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  asking  about  what  you  suffered  ? 
What  about  him  f  " 

"  Well,  father,  you  ought  just  to  see  him ! 
He's  got  two  black  eyes  ;  his  nose  is  banged  out 
of  shape ;  I  skinned  that  knuckle  on  his 
teeth " 

"Did  you  make  him  take  back  his  words 
about  General  Washington  ?  " 

"  You  bet  I  did  !  When  I  got  him  down  and 
treated  him  as  he  deserved,  he  yelled  '  Enough  ! ' 
andbawle  d  for  me  to  let  him  up.  I  told  him  I 
wouldn't  do  it  till  he  took  back  his  words  about 
General  Washington." 

"Did  he  doit?" 

"  I  had  to  punish  him  well,  and  he  twisted 
about  and  kicked  and  tried  to  get  loose,  but 


18  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

when  he  found  it  was  no  use,  he  gave  in  and 
said  he  was  sorry  and  wouldn't  ever  say  any- 
thing like  it  again.     Then  I  let  him  up." 

" What  next?" 

"  He  waited  till  he  was  a  good  way  down  the 
road,  and  then  looked  around  and  yelled,  f  Gen- 
eral Washington  is  a  traitor.' " 

"  What  did  you  do  ? " 

"  Started  after  him,  but  he  dashed  through 
the  gate  and  was  in  the  house  before  I  could 
catch  him,  but  I'll  settle  with  him  the  next  time 
we  meet." 

u  You  won't  forget  it  ? " 

"  No,  sir  !  " 

"  Here  ;  take  the  strap  back  to  the  house  and 
split  some  wood  for  your  mother." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Jack,  who  may  be  excused 
for  chuckling  softly  to  himself,  as  he  made  his 
way  into  the  house,  where  he  came  face  to  face 
with  his  mother. 

"  Why,  Jack,  what  have  you  been  doing  that 
your  father  should  punish  you  \ " 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  19 

"  Nothing,  mother." 

"  He  never  punishes  you  without  good  cause  ; 
I  am  grieved " 

"  But  he  didn't  punish  me,  mother." 

"  What  are  you  doing  with  that  strap  in  your 
hand?" 

"  Going  to  hang  it  up  where  it  belongs." 

"But,"  continued  the  mystified  parent,  "I 
don't  understand  it  at  all." 

"Well,  you  see,  Aaron  WagstafT  and  I  had 
the  biggest  tight  of  our  lives " 

"  How  sorry  I  am,  Jack." 

"  You  ain't  half  as  sorry  as  Aaron  is.  Father 
was  going  to  punish  me  for  fighting  till  I  told 
him  Aaron  called  General  Washington  a  traitor, 
and  being  as  I  couldn't  stand  that,  I  thought  it 
my  duty  to  teach  Aaron  better  manners." 

u  And  did  he  say  General  Washington  was 
a  traitor  ? "  asked  the  horrified  mother. 

"  That's  what  he  said." 

"And  you — you — taught  him  to  be  more 
careful  in  his  speech." 


20  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  I  think  I  did,"  said  the  son,  not  deeming  it 
worth  while  to  tell  how  the  Tory  had  broken 
his  pledge,  when  he  was  beyond  reach. 

"  Bless  your  heart !  I'm  proud  of  you,"  and 
both  her  arms  swung  round  the  neck  of  the 
young  patriot,  with  such  fervency  that  Jack 
found  it  hard  work  for  a  minute  or  two  to  keep 
up  his  regular  breathing. 

"  I  know  after  this,"  was  his  conclusion,  "  that 
when  any  one  slurs  General  Washington  it's  my 
Christian  duty  Lo  stir  up  things,  and  by  gracious  ! 
I'll  do  it." 

Now,  I  am  sure  I  have  told  you  enough  to 
justify  me  in  skipping  the  better  part  of  a 
year,  and  coming  down  to  the  day  on  which,  as 
I  said,  Jack  Marlton  was  angry  clean  through 
and  more  dissatisfied  than  he  had  ever  been 
before  in  all  his  life. 

That  brief  but  decisive  encounter  between 
him  and  Aaron  Wagstaff  naturally  made  their 
relations  strained.  They  avoided  each  other, 
and  when  they  occasionally  met,  had  little  or 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  21 

nothing  to  say.  The  Tory  made  no  reference 
to  General  Washington,  and  the  patriot  did  not 
feel  himself  justified  in  "  sailing  in  "  again,  so 
long  as  the  other  held  his  peace. 

Meanwhile  news  had  come  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  and  the  hopes  of  the  patriots 
were  high.  But  by  and  by  matters  began  to 
go  wrong.  The  ragged  Continentals  were  de- 
feated by  the  more  numerous  and  better 
equipped  armies  of  King  George,  and  the  outlook 
grow  gloomier  as  the  months  passed.  It  was 
known  that  the  expedition  sent  to  Canada  the 
preceding  year  had  met  with  woful  disaster. 
General  Montgomery,  the  leader,  was  killed  in 
front  of  Quebec,  Arnold  was  badly  wounded, 
and  everything  had  gone  amiss. 

Washington  had  done  everything  possible  to 
strengthen  New  York  against  Howe,  but,  in  the 
latter  part  of  August,  a  battle  was  fought  on 
Long  Island,  in  which  the  Americans  lost  many 
prisoners,  had  a  large  number  killed  and  were 
saved  from  utter  overthrow  only  through  the 


22  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

generalship  of  Washington,  which  enabled  him 
to  extricate  the  defeated  army  from  a  most 
perilous  situation. 

This  was  the  news  that  had  been  brought  to 
Captain  Marlton  by  a  wounded  patriot,  who  was 
permitted  to  walk  to  his  home,  near  that  of 
the  captain,  and  who  bore  the  dismal  tidings 
which  reached  the  ears  of  Jack  on  the  last 
day  of  the  summer  of  1776. 

It  was  this  news  which  upset  the  young 
patriot  and  made  him  fighting  mad.  He 
yearned  for  some  one  to  give  him  cause  for 
a  battle.  Meeting  Aaron  Wagstaff  on  the  high- 
way, he  glared  at  him,  hoping  he  would  say 
something  to  justify  him  in  stern  measures.  But 
the  young  Tory  was  discreet,  and,  to  quote  one 
of  our  late  members  of  Congress,  "  he  remained 
mute,  silent  and  dumb,  and  besides  didn't  say 
a  word." 

It  was  a  great  relief  to  Jack,  when  his  father 
told  him  early  in  the  forenoon  to  go  to  Trenton, 
and  buy  him  some  tobacco  and  tea,  for,  despite 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  23 

the  "  Boston  Tea  Party  "  of  nearly  three  years 
before,  it  was  not  hard  to  secure  the  luxury  in 
most  parts  of  the  colonies  by  paying  the  high 
price  demanded. 

You  must  bear  in  mind  that  no  bridge 
spanned  the  Delaware  for  a  good  many  miles 
above  Trenton,  until  after  the  opening  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  Near  the  town  was  a 
ferry  with  several  others  at  points  further  up- 
stream. Those  who  owned  small  boats  used 
them  in  crossing  the  boundary  between  the  two 
States,  or  when  they  chose,  resorted  to  the  broad 
flatboats  employed  at  the  ferries. 

When  Jack  Marlton  visited  Trenton  he 
always  used  his  small  sailboat,  if  the  river  was 
open.  He  could  embark  in  it  near  his  own 
home,  sail  down  stream,  if  the  wind  was  favora- 
ble, and  return  the  same  way.  If  there  was  no 
wind,  he  knew  how  to  handle  the  oars.  Ordina- 
rily the  row  was  a  laborious  one,  but  a  sturdy 
young  fellow  like  him  did  not  mind  that. 

(xlad  of   the    order   from    his   parent,   Jack 


24  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

sprang  into  the  craft,  as  he  shoved  it  from 
shore,  and  hoisted  the  leg- of- mutton  sail.  A 
brisk  wind  was  blowing,  and,  if  it  did  not 
change  many  degrees,  would  be  equally  useful 
on  his  return.  Seating  himself  in  the  stern, 
where  he  could  control  the  rudder  and  the  sail, 
he  sat  back  and  would  have  been  buoyantly 
happy  but  for  the  disturbing  news  about  the 
reverses  of  the  patriot  army  near  New  York. 

"  I  suppose  we  must  expect  such  things,"  he 
mused  with  a  sigh  ;  "  for  father  says  they're  a 
part  of  war,  but  it  seems  to  me  we're  getting 
more  than  our  share.  How  Aaron  and  the  rest 
of  the  Tories  are  chuckling  over  this  !  When 
I  met  him  a  while  ago,  he  tried  to  look  sober, 
but  he  would  have  hurrahed  if  he  dared.  I 
wish  he  had  tried  it !  "  muttered  the  young 
patriot,  compressing  his  lips. 

He  steered  his  boat  out  into  the  middle  of 
the  river,  so  far  as  to  have  the  advantage  of  the 
current,  for  he  was  in  that  mood  that  he  was 
restless  and  sought  relief  through  the  activity 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  25 

of  his  body.  It  was  characteristic  of  the  times 
that  the  previous  year  Jack  had  painted  out  the 
name  "  George  III."  on  the  stern  of  his  boat, 
and  replaced  it  with  that  of  "  General  George 
Washington,"  in  letters  as  big  as  there  was 
room  for.  Aaron  Wagstaff  had  named  his  craft 
"  Kitty,"  when  it  was  made,  but  as  that  was 
not  expressive  enough  to  suit  him,  he  wiped  it 
off,  so  to  speak,  and  in  letters  as  large  as  those 
on  the  stern  of  Jack  s  boat,  he  painted  the  name 
that  had  formerly  been  used  by  the  young  patriot. 

Jack  observed  it  for  the  first  time,  when 
Aaron  turned  across  the  river,  just  behind  him, 
and  sailed  in  close  to  the  eastern  or  Jersey  side 
of  the  stream.  The  Tory  had  evidently  started 
for  Trenton  town,  and  there  could  be  no  doubt 
that  he  thus  guided  his  craft  in  order  that  the 
young  rebel  might  see  the  royal  name  recently 
given  to  it. 

Jack  gnashed  his  teeth.  The  sight,  while  he 
was  gloomily  brooding  over  the  news  from  New 
York,  added  to  his  irritation. 


26  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  That's  the  most  impudent  thing  I  ever  saw," 
he  said  to  himself  ;  "  I've  a  great  notion  to  run 
into  him  and  sink  his  old  boat." 

In  fact,  Jack  partly  headed  his  craft  toward 
the  other,  with  the  resolve  to  rid  the  Delaware 
of  its  presence,  but  he  reflected  that  he  would 
hardly  be  justified  in  the  act,  and  he  contented 
himself  with  the  thought : 

u  He  mustn't  get  in  my  way,  for,  if  he  does, 
there'll  be  a  row  !  " 

Apparently  Aaron  Wagstaff  had  no  thought 
of  getting  in  his  way,  since  none  knew  better 
than  he  the  consequences  of  such  a  proceeding. 

The  speed  of  the  boats  was  about  the  same, 
and,  in  the  olden  times  when  the  boys  indulged 
in  a  race  now  and  then  on  the  river,  the  ques- 
tion of  superiority  was  never  settled.  Because 
of  the  assistance  from  the  current,  Jack  gradually 
drew  away  from  his  neighbor,  and  when  he  ran 
his  craft  ashore  near  the  ferry,  there  was  a 
space  of  fully  a  mile  between  them. 

The  broad   flat  boat  used  for  carrying  passen- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  27 

gers  and  teams  across  the  river,  happened  to  be 
on  the  Pennsylvania  side,  there  being  but  one 
craft  in  use,  and  the  two  sturdy  men  who  poled 
it  to  and  fro  were  with  it.  The  water  was  low, 
and  no  persons  were  waiting  on  the  Jersey  shore 
to  use  the  ferry.  Thus  it  happened  that  when 
Jack  landed,  no  one  was  near. 

That,  however,  had  happened  before,  and, 
drawing  the  prow  as  far  up  on  the  shingle  as  he 
could,  he  carried  the  heavy  stone,  to  which  a 
half  dozen  yards  of  rope  were  tied,  the  full  ex- 
tent up  the  bank  and  threw  it  down  as  a  sure 
anchor.  He  had  done  this  many  times,  and 
could  count  upon  the  brothers  Bobbins,  who 
managed  the  ferry,  to  keep  an  eye  on  his  prop- 
erty. 

Without  any  misgiving,  but  in  a  gloomy 
frame  of  mind,  Jack  Marlton  continued  up  the 
sloping  bank,  and  entered  the  small  town  of 
Trenton,  which  was  destined  soon  to  play  so 
important  a  part  in  the  Revolutionary  history 
of  our  country. 


28  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Perhaps  some  of  my  readers  are  familiar  with 
the  modern  city  which  is  the  capital  of  New 
Jersey.  If  so,  it  may  be  hard  for  them  to  pic- 
ture the  town  as  it  was  during  the  war  for  in- 
dependence, and  perhaps  it  is  not  worth  while 
for  me  to  dwell  too  much  upon  it. 

You  understand  of  course  that  few  landmarks 
remain  to-day,  but  let  me  refer  to  several,  for 
the  ground  has  long  been  familiar  to  me. 

The  street  which  extends  along  the  river  bank 
and  is  now  known  as  Front  was  formerly  First 
Street.  State  Street  of  to-day  runs  parallel  to 
it,  and  is  the  main  avenue  of  the  city.  It  con- 
tains the  capitol  or  State  House  and  the  most 
elegant  of  the  private  dwellings  as  well  as  the 
leading  business  houses.  Of  course  it  was  a 
short  street  a  hundred  years  ago,  when  it  bore 
the  name  of  Second  Street.  The  only  building 
that  I  know  of  to-day,  which  was  standing  in 
the  Revolution,  is  the  First  Presbyterian  church, 
which  has  been  remodeled  since  those  far-away 
times.     Further  up  the  street,  on  the  present 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  29 

corner  of  State  and  Warren,  where  now  stands 
the  imposing  Masonic  Hall,  was  the  brick  house 
in  which  Abraham  Hunt  lived.  I  remember 
the  building  well,  for  it  is  only  a  few  years  ago 
that  it  was  torn  down.  There  was  a  small 
house  on  the  left,  where  Washington  met  in 
council  with  his  officers.  It  was  made  of  stone 
and  was  razed  some  twenty  odd  years  ago. 

The  next  streets  in  importance  are  Greene  and 
Warren,  running  at  right  angles  to  State  Street. 
Previous  to  the  Revolution,  and  indeed  for  some 
time  afterward,  they  were  King  and  Queen 
Streets.  St.  Michael's  Church,  on  Warren  Street, 
was  there  in  a  humbler  form  during  the  Revolu- 
tion, as  was  the  old  tavern  which  I  remember 
well  on  the  other  side  of  Warren  Street,  on  the 
present  site  of  the  Catholic  Cathedral.  It  was 
in  that  building  that  the  mortally- wounded  Rail 
was  carried,  after  the  Hessian  surrender  at 
Trenton. 

Through  the  middle  of  the  city  runs  the  As- 
sunpink  Creek,  which  was  spanned  by  a  wooden 


30  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

bridge,  built  nearly  a  hundred  years  before  the 
Revolution.  I  recall  some  years  ago,  when  this 
old  bridge  was  taken  apart  to  make  room  for 
the  modern  structure  that  now  spans  the  stream. 
None  of  us  will  forget  that  the  oaken  timbers 
dug  from  the  ground,  where  they  had  reposed 
for  two  centuries,  were  as  sound  as  on  the  day 
they  were  laid  down. 

It  was  into  this  little  town,  containing  less 
than  two  thousand  inhabitants,  that  Jack  Marl- 
ton,  on  the  last  day  in  the  summer  of  1776,  made 
his  way  and  strolled  through  the  streets  with 
which  he  had  long  been  familiar,  He  walked 
slowly  up  Queen  (Warren)  Street  to  the  little 
tobacco  and  snuff  store,  on  the  left  near  Abra- 
ham Hunt's  home,  and  purchased  the  tobacco 
for  his  father.  Then  he  crossed  to  the  other 
side,  and  walked  about  half-way  to  St.  Michael's 
Church,  where  he  went  into  a  grocery  store  and 
bought  two  pounds  of  tea  for  which  he  paid  in 
English  gold,  receiving  his  change  in  coin,  for, 
early  as  it  was,  and  patriotic  as   most  of  the 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  31 

people  felt,  they  were  not  partial  to  Continental 
currency  that  was  in  circulation  with  a  rapid 
"  downward  tendency,"  which,  as  respects  valua- 
tion, soon  reached  the  vanishing  point. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  III. 

TRENTON,   1776. 

I  suppose  you  have  heard  of  John  Fitch,  the 
real  inventor  of  the  steamboat.  He  was  a 
native  of  Connecticut  and  was  a  watchmaker  by 
trade,  but  when  the  Revolution  broke  out  he 
turned  his  attention  to  making  guns  for  the 
American  army.  He  was  wonderfully  skilful 
and  his  weapons  were  excellent.  In  1785,  he 
built  a  steamboat  which  ran  regularly  between 
Philadelphia  and  Burlington.  It  was  proven  in 
the  courts  in  1817,  that  Robert  Fulton,  who  is 
credited  with  constructing  the  first  steamboat, 
had  access  to  the  drawings  and  papers,  and  that 
Fulton's  invention  was  precisely  the  same  as 
Fitch's.    - 

When  Jack  Marlton  made  his  visit  to  Trenton, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  33 

after  calling  at  the  store  where  he  bought  his 
tea,  he  walked  down  Second  Street  a  short  way, 
and  turning  to  his  right,  entered  a  shop,  which 
jutted  out  slightly  in  advance  of  the  dwellings 
alongside  and  consisted  of  a  single  room.  There 
was  a  work-bench  extending  across  the  rear,  but 
without  any  partition  separating  it  from  the 
front  of  the  store.  Thus  the  workman  could 
pursue  his  labors,  interrupting  them  only  when 
a  customer  entered.  In  the  window  showing  on 
the  street  were  several  muskets,  leaning  against 
the  sides,  while  between  them  on  a  level  with 
the  stocks,  were  three  or  four  well-made  swords, 
bayonets  and  pistols, — all  the  firearms  of  course 
being  of  the  flintlock  pattern. 

The  artificer  busy  at  his  bench,  with  his  back 
toward  the  outer  door,  of  course  was  bareheaded, 
and  wore  a  leathern  apron,  while  he  plied  his 
tools  with  the  deftness  of  an  expert.  He 
was  in  the  prime  of  life,  being  slightly  above 
thirty  years  of  age,  with  a  fine  athletic  frame, 
abundant  dark  hair,  regular  features  and  a  face 


34  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

covered  with  a  short  sandy  beard,  while  his  eyes 
were  keen  and  bright. 

As  the  little  bell,  fitted  over  the  door  so  that 
it  would  tinkle  when  the  door  was  shoved  in- 
ward, gave  out  its  warning,  the  man  turned  his 
head  quickly,  without  moving  his  body  and  held 
his  work  suspended. 

u  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Fitch  ? "  called  Jack 
pleasantly. 

"  Helloa,  Jack,  you're  just  the  fellow  I  want 
to  see." 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you  ? "  asked  the  pleased 
youth. 

Let  me  say  here  that  Jack  and  Mr.  Fitch  were 
old  friends.  The  skilled  mechanic  was  a  sports- 
man, and,  when  tired  of  labor  (and  often  when 
not  tired),  he  seized  one  of  his  best  guns  and 
went  up  the  Delaware  on  a  hunt  for  birds. 
Deer,  bears  and  wolves  were  plentiful  in  those 
days  in  the  neighboring  woods,  and  wild  ducks 
could  be  counted  upon  at  any  time. 

Mr.  Fitch's  favorite  plan  was  to  sail  up  or 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  35 

down  the  Delaware,  and  hunt  on  the  Penn- 
sylvania side.  This  habit  brought  him  in 
contact  some  years  before  with  the  grim,  stern 
Captain  Marlton.  Strange  to  say,  the  two 
formed  a  strong  liking  for  each  other  from  the 
first.  Mr.  Fitch  enjoyed  nothing  more  than  a 
hunt  on  one  of  the  keen,  autumn  days,  and  a 
visit  to  Captain  Marlton's  home,  where  he  ate 
an  evening  meal  and  often  stayed  over  night. 

Naturally  the  gentleman  took  a  fancy  to  Jack, 
who  often  accompanied  him  on  his  hunts. 
Rarely  or  never  did  the  boy  make  a  visit  to 
Trenton,  without  calling  on  his  old  friend,  who 
was  always  glad  to  see  him. 

When,  therefore,  the  man  said  in  his  heartiest 
manner  that  Jack  was  just  the  one  he  wished  to 
see,  the  youth  attached  no  meaning  to  it  except 
that  it  was  his  way  of  welcoming  him. 

u  I  have  asked  the  opinion  of  several  of  my 
friends,"  he  replied,  "  on  a  little  piece  of  work  and 
I  want  to  hear  yours." 

u  All  right ;  let  me  see  it." 


36  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

From  one  end  of  the  work-bench  the  gun- 
maker  picked  up  a  weapon  and  handing  it  to 
the  boy  said  : 

"  There !  I  should  like  to  know  what  you 
think  of  that." 

It  was  an  old-fashioned  rifle,  considerably 
lighter  than  the  clumsy  weapons  used  by  west- 
ern hunters,  and  was  made  with  exquisite  skill. 
There,  of  course,  was  the  claw-like  hammer,  grip- 
ping the  piece  of  yellow  flint,  the  powder -pan 
and  the  vent-hole  through  which  the  flashing 
grains  carried  the  fire  into  the  barrel  and  ex- 
ploded the  charge,  the  iron  ramrod,  running 
through  the  clasps  along  the  under  side  of  the 
barrel,  until  its  lower  end  passed  from  sight 
into  the  polished  walnut,  which  extended  for- 
ward from  the  stock  and  was  pierced  for  the 
purpose  of  holding  it,  the  little  receptacle  in  the 
side  of  the  stock  closed  by  a  lid  with  a  spring, 
and  intended  to  contain  the  tiny  squares  of  linen 
that  were  wrapped  around  the  bullets  to  gain 
additional  power  and  accuracy,  while  the  stock 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  37 

itself  was  beautifully  ornamented  with  silver 
work. 

"  My  gracious  !  "  softly  exclaimed  the  admir- 
ing Jack,  after  he  had  turned  it  over  several 
times  in  his  hand  and  feasted  his  eyes  upon  it, 
"it's  the  finest  gun  I  ever  saw." 

"You  really  like  it  then?" 

"  Like  it  !  Why,  Mr.  Fitch,  why  don't  you 
put  it  in  the  window  so  as  to  let  folks  see  it  as 
they  go  along  the  street  ?  It  will  make  a  big 
excitement  in  town  and  bring  you  all  the  custom 
you  want." 

"  I've  got  all  I  can  attend  to  from  General 
Washington,  but  never  mind  about  that ;  I 
want  to  know  how  you  like  the  gun." 

Jack  raised  the  weapon  to  a  level  and  pointed 
it  toward  the  door.  Fitch  watched  him  closely, 
and  saw  that  he  did  so  without  the  slightest 
tremor,  and  apparently  with  the  greatest  ease. 
Then  he  lowered  it,  and  again  turned  it  over  and 
inspected  every  portion. 

"  That  must  be  worth  twenty  or  thirty  pounds." 


38  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  It  isn't  for  sale,  Jack,  for  the  reason  that  it 
is  already  sold  or  rather  given  away." 

"  The  chap  is  lucky  who  gets  that." 

u  The  one  who  gets  it  has  it  in  his  hand  now ; 
it  was  made  for  you  ;  I  told  your  father  and 
mother  several  months  ago  what  I  was  going  to 
do  ;  I  suppose  your  father  made  some  excuse 
for  sending  you  to  Trenton  to-day,  but  his  real 
reason  was  that  I  might  hand  you  that  gun ;  he 
knew  you  would  be  in  to  see  me,  and  I  told  him 
I  should  have  it  ready ;  of  course  the  powder- 
horn,  bullet-mold  and  pouch  go  with  it." 

While  Mr.  Fitch  enjoyed  the  astonishment  of 
his  young  friend,  he  had  no  wish  to  make  any- 
thing like  a  scene.  When,  therefore,  the  time 
came  to  spring  his  little  surprise,  he  completed 
it  and  left  no  necessity  for  any  postscripts  or 
addenda. 

Jack  Marl  ton  Avas  so  overcome  for  the  mo- 
ment, that  he  felt  faint  and  had  to  sit  down  on 
one  of  the  stools,  placed  for  the  convenience  of 
visitors.     He  quickly  rallied  and  then  modestly, 


THE  ONE  WHO   GETS   THAT  GUN  HAS  IT  IN  HIS  HANDS  NOW,"   QUICKLY  REPLIED 

MR.  fitch.— Page  38.  The  Boy  Patriot. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  39 

but  with  deep  feeling,  uttered  his  thanks.  He 
told  the  truth  when  he  said  that  for  two  years 
the  dearest  wish  of  his  heart  had  been  to  own  a 
weapon  like  the  one  that  had  just  been  pre- 
sented to  him.  His  father  allowed  him  to  use 
his  gun  at  times,  but  it  was  so  heavy  that  it  was 
quite  laborious  to  handle  it. 

"  But  this " 

And  the  delighted  boy  leaped  to  his  feet  and 
aimed  it  at  an  invisible  foe. 

"  Your  father  and  mother  expect  you  to  bring 
it  back ;  so,  suppose  we  put  a  charge  in  it  that 
you  may  be  ready  for  whatever  happens,  though 
it  isn't  the  season  to  look  for  game  on  your  way 
home." 

The  rifle  was  loaded  by  Jack,  with  the  equally 
pleased  donor  looking  on.  The  flurry  being 
over,  the  thoughts  of  both  turned  to  the  war. 

"  You  have  heard  the  bad  news  ?  "  was  the 
inquiring  remark  of  Fitch. 

"  You  mean  about  the  battle  on  Long 
Island?" 


4.0  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

The  man  gravely  nodded  his  head. 

"  Yes ;  Lew  Bascomb  was  wounded  and  is 
now  at  home.  He  came  over  to  our  house  early 
this  morning  and  told  us?' 

"  I  heard  of  it  yesterday  and  have  a  little 
later  news  to-day.'1 

"What  is  it?  "  eagerly  asked  Jack. 

';  Nothing  of  special  moment ;  Washington 
managed  to  get  the  army,  or  what  was  left  of 
it,  beyond  reach  of  Admiral  Lord  Howe,  and 
has  retreated  up  the  Hudson.  That  of  course 
gives  New  York  to  the  redcoats." 

"  What  will  they  now  do  ? " 

"  I  have  been  studying  over  that  and  believe 
the  next  move  of  Howe  will  be  against  Phil- 
adelphia, because  it  is  our  capital.  It  will  be 
a  big  thing  to  send  Congress  flying  for  their 
lives." 

iC  But  Washington  won't  let  that  be  done." 

"  Washington  is  the  greatest  and  best  man 
that  ever  lived,  but  he  can't  stop  the  redcoats 
unless  he's  got  the  men  and  guns  to  do  it  with. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  41 

He'll  do  all  that's  possible,  but  something  tells 
me  that  we've  got  to  lose  Philadelphia.  Con- 
found it ! "  exclaimed  Fitch,  with  more  im- 
patience than  he  had  yet  shown  ;  a  my  position 
is  such  that  I'm  growing  madder  every  day  it 
lasts," 

"  How  is  that  ? "  asked  the  surprised  Jack. 

"  Why,  when  Washington  wants  every  man 
he  can  get,  here  I'm  working  at  my  bench,  as  if 
the  sound  of  an  enemy's  gun  has  never  been 
heard  in  the  country." 

"  But  aren't  our  armies  short  of  guns  ?  They 
can't  do  any  fighting  without  them  and  no  one 
knows  so  well  how  to  make  them  as  you." 

"That's  what  General  Washington  has  told 
me  several  times,  though  there  are  plenty  that 
can  do  as  well  as  I.  He  says  I'm  helping  him 
more  by  making  muskets  than  I  could  in  the 
ranks." 

"  Don't  you  believe  him  ? " 

"  I  believe  anything  he  says,  but  that  doesn't 
take  away  the  meanness  I  feel  over  doing  no 


42  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

fighting,  while  so  many  are  risking  their  lives. 
I'll  stand  it  as  long  as  I  can,  and,  when  I  can't 
stand  it  any  longer,  I'll  catch  up  my  gun  and 
off  I'll  go." 

After  some  further  conversation  and  the  prom- 
ise of  Fitch  to  make  his  friends  up  the  Delaware 
a  visit,  as  soon  as  he  could,  Jack  bade  him  good- 
by,  and  with  his  beautiful  present  resting  on 
one  shoulder,  he  strode  up  Second  Street  on  his 
way  to  the  riverside  to  return  home. 

It  would  be  idle  to  pretend  he  was  not  proud 
of  his  handsome  gift.  He  met  several  men, 
and  a  number  of  boys  about  his  own  age,  with 
whom  he  was  acquainted,  and  whenever  any 
one  of  them  made  any  remark  about  the  gun, 
Jack  took  the  occasion  to  stop  and  exhibit  the 
weapon,  warning  the  friend  that  it  was  loaded 
(unnecessary  pains  in  the  case  of  a  flintlock, 
which  shows  at  all  times  the  powder  in  the 
pan),  and  explaining  that  it  had  not  been  bought 
by  him,  but  was  a  present  from  Mr.  Fitch. 

He   received  many  congratulations,  while  a 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  43 

few  who  were  not  strangers  showed  by  their 
looks  and  manner  how  much  they  admired  the 
weapon.  Possibly  Jack  Marlton  made  a  more 
circuitous  walk  through  the  town  than  was 
necessary ;  perhaps,  too,  he  was  unusually  de- 
liberate in  his  gait,  and  paused  in  front  of  some 
of  the  shop  windows  with  pretended  interest 
longer  than  was  his  custom  ;  but,  if  so,  who 
shall  blame  him  ?  He  finally  reached  the  river- 
side and  then  came  another  of  the  great  provo- 
cations and  annoyances  which  were  to  make  that 
day  one  of  the  most  memorable  in  his  life. 


44  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

"confound    it!" 

Jack  Marlton  strode  rapidly  down  the  river 
bank,  with  his  handsome  rifle  resting  on  his 
shoulder,  intending  to  shove  off  and  make  all 
haste  homeward,  for,  boy-like,  he  was  anxious  to 
exhibit  his  present  to  his  parents,  that  they 
might  share  in  his  delight,  bat  lo  !  his  boat  was 
gone. 

He  stopped  in  dismay  and  looked  around. 
Not  onlv  had  it  vanished,  but  it  was  nowhere 
in  sight  on  the  broad  expanse  of  river  to  the 
north  or  south.  A  mile  away,  a  little  craft  was 
skimming  diagonally  up-stream,  and  careening  to 
one  side  under  the  propulsion  of  the  brisk  wind 
which  had  veered  around  so  that  it  could  not 
have  been  more  favorable. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  45 

A  second  glance  told  him  that  the  boat  was 
the  "  King  George  III.,"  owned  by  Aaron 
WagstafT,  who  was  seated  at  the  stern,  with  his 
hand  on  the  tiller.  The  keen  eyes  of  Jack 
showed  him  that  his  old  acquaintance  was  look- 
ing over  his  shoulder,  and  he  fancied  he  saw 
the  grin  of  pleasure  on  the  Tory's  face,  as  he 
observed  the  anger  and  disappointment  of 
Jack. 

The  Bobbins  brothers  were  poling  their  big 
flat  boat  to  the  Jersey  side  and  were  already  so 
near  that  the  young  patriot  hailed  them. 

"  Helloa,  you  fellows  !  do  you  know  what's 
become  of  my  boat  ?  " 

The  elder  brother  replied  : 
"  Wagstaff  and  Jim  Wilkins  took  it." 
1  What  did  they  do  with  it  ? "  asked  the  lad, 
not  fully  understanding  the  reply.  Instead  of 
explaining,  the  brothers  continued  poling  their 
bulky  craft  until  it  grated  against  the  shingle, 
and  leaving  the  younger  to  look  after  it,  Hugh 
the  elder  stepped  out. 


46  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  Just  before  we  took  Doctor  Hawkins  and 
his  gig  across,  Wagstaft'  and  Jim  came  down  to 
the  bank  and  talked  together  for  a  few  minutes. 
I  wasn't  nigh  enough  to  hear  all  they  said,  but 
I  caught  enough  to  know  that  Wagstaff  claimed 
he  had  bought  the  boat  of  you  while  you  and 
he  were  in  Trenton  and  he  wanted  to  sell  it  to 
Jim.  He  couldn't  have  asked  Jim  much,"  added 
Bobbins  with  a  grin,  "  because  he  couldn't  pay 
much,  but  they  made  some  sort  of  bargain,  and 
the  two  together  pushed  it  from  shore,  slung  the 
anchor  aboard  and  Jim  jumped  in  and  headed 
up-stream.  I  didn't  pay  any  more  attention  to 
them.  I  say,  Bill,"  said  Hugh  turning  to  his 
brother,  "  did  you  notice  where  Jim  went  with 
the  boat  ?     He  doesn't  seem  to  be  in  sight." 

The  younger  pointed  up-stream. 

"  All  I  seen  was  that  he  kept  close  to  the 
Jersey  side  and  he  can't  be  very  far  off." 

The  fellow  shaded  his  eyes  with  one  hand 
and  peered  up-stream,  but  failed  to  discover 
anything  of  the  missing  craft,  which  might  well 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  47 

be,  since  the  bank  was  lined  with  overhanging 
bushes  and  undergrowth. 

Jack  Marlton  did  not  tarry  to  make  more  in- 
quiries, for  he  kneAV  he  had  learned  all  there 
was  to  learn.  He  was  angered  that  the  two 
men  should  have  allowed  such  a  thing  to  take 
place  under  their  very  noses,  when  they  ought 
to  have  known  something  was  wrong  and  "Wag- 
staff  was  playing  a  despicable  trick. 

Jim  Wilkins  was  a  loafer  belonging  to  Tren- 
ton, who  generally  spent  enough  time  in  fishing 
on  the  Delaware  to  earn  sufficient  to  keep  him 
supplied  with  drink.  Certain  that  he  must 
have  been  a  party  to  the  shady  transaction, 
Jack  started  up  the  bank  at  a  rapid  walk.  His 
belief  was  that  the  fellow  was  hiding  some- 
where along  shore,  intending  to  wait  until 
night,  when  he  would  probably  return  to  town 
and  perhaps  try  to  sell  the  boat  to  some  one 
else,  and  thus  secure  a  liberal  return  for  his 
rascality. 

Jack's  impatience  caused  him  to  break  into  a 


48  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

lope,  but  as  lie  sped  forward,  he  made  sure  he 
did  not  overlook  any  spot  where  his  property- 
might  be  drawn  under  the  bushes.  Wilkins 
was  somewhere  along  shore,  or  it  might  be  he 
had  turned  to  the  westward  and  headed  for  the 
wooded  island,  which  stands  a  short  distance 
above  Trenton  nearly  opposite  the  present  site 
of  the  State  lunatic  asylum. 

Better  luck  attended  Jack's  efforts  than  he 
expected.  He  was  still  trotting  along,  his 
bright  eyes  scanning  every  yard  of  the  shore 
between  him  and  the  river,  and  occasionally 
pausing  to  make  his  scrutiny  complete,  Avhen 
he  sprang  across  a  small  brook,  which  mean- 
dered down  from  the  woods  on  the  right,  and 
found  its  way  into  the  Delaware.  At  the 
moment  of  making  the  leap,  the  youth  fancied 
the  undergrowth  looked  denser  than  usual  close 
to  the  water.     He  decided  to  investigate. 

He  was  moving  carefully  through  the  under- 
growth, when  he  heard  a  rustling,  and  an  instant 
later,  caught  sight  of  the  white  sail  of  his  boat, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  49 

which  had  evidently  just  been  raised.  A  few 
paces  further,  and  he  saw  his  own  craft,  with 
Jim  Wilkins  in  the  act  of  sitting  down  at  the 
stern  to  take  charge  of  the  tiller. 

"  Hold  on  there,  you  thief  !  "  called  Jack. 

The  startled  fellow  turned  his  head  like  a 
flash,  and,  forgetting  in  his  excitement  to  steer 
right,  the  craft  swung  round  and  thrust  its  nose 
in  the  mnd. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  sonny?" 
growled  Wilkins,  his  fright  vanishing  when  he 
saw  that  it  was  only  a  boy  who  had  hailed  him. 

u  What  do  you  mean  by  running  off  with  my 
boat?'7 

u  Your  boat,  be  blowed !  I  bought  it  of 
Aaron  Wagstaff." 

u  You  knew  it  belonged  to  me " 

"  He  bought  it  of  you  this  afternoon  in 
Trenton." 

"  That's  a  lie  and  you  know  it ;  why  are  you 
sneaking  along  shore  under  the  bank,  trying  to 
keep  out  of  sight  till  night  ? " 


50  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  Be  keerf ul,  young  man,  how  you  talk  to 
your  betters !  If  you  don't  like  what  I  done, 
you  kin  settle  with  Aaron  Wagstaff ;  this  ere 
boat  has  been  bought  fair  and  square  by  me,  and 
what's  more  I'm  going  to  keep  it." 

"  I  don't  think  you  will." 

"  You  don't,  eh  ?  How're  you  going  to  hender 
me  ? " 

Jack  Marlton  took  his  gun  from  his  shoulder 
and  leveled  it  at  the  fellow,  whose  sodden, 
bloated  countenance  showed  his  fright.  He 
could  not  have  failed  to  notice  the  weapon 
at  command  of  the  youngster,  but  he  did  not 
suspect  the  determination  behind  it. 

"  If  you  don't  get  out  of  that  boat  and  leave 
inside  of  two  minutes,  I'll  let  daylight  through 
you  !  " 

"  Say,  hold  on  !  "  called  back  Wilkins,  duck- 
ing his  head  and  throwing  up  one  elbow,  as  if 
to  ward  off  the  expected  shot;  "don't  shoot 
that  infarnal  gun." 

u  Do  as  I  tell  you  and  I  won't." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  51 

"  Lower  the  blasted  thing  or  p'int  some  other 
way ;  it  might  go  off  accidental  like." 

Even  in  his  anger,  Jack  could  not  help  smil- 
ing at  the  terror  of  the  loafer.  Since  the  latter 
was  unarmed  and  the  boy  commanded  the  situa- 
tion, he  lowered  the  weapon. 

"  I've  got  my  eye  on  you,"  he  said  warningly  ; 
"  if  you  try  to  get  away  or  play  any  of  your 
tricks  on  me,  that'll  be  the  last  of  you,  Jim 
Wilkins  !  This  is  a  new  gun  that  I've  never 
fired  yet,  and  I  would  as  lief  begin  on  you  as  on 
any  other  brute." 

But  Jim  didn't  fancy  serving  as  the  first  tar- 
get of  the  terrible  weapon.  The  boat  was  still 
held  motionless,  by  the  clayey  soil  into  which 
the  prow  was  pushed,  and  by  taking  a  single 
long  step,  he  placed  himself  on  shore. 

"  There !  take  your  blasted  old  boat  !  I 
didn't  want  it  any  way." 

"  Why  then  did  you  steal  it  ?  " 

"  Just  foolin',  that's  all ;  can't  you  take  a 
joke  ? " 


52  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  Those  kind  of  jokes  are  best  answered  by  a 
rifle  shot ;  now,  off  with  you  !  Don't  try  to 
come  near  me,"  added  the  youth  warningly,  re- 
coiling a  step,  as  the  fellow  sidled  up,  apparently 
with  some  sinister  purpose  in  his  mind.  At  the 
same  time,  he  partly  raised  his  gun,  and  Wilkins, 
seeing  that  he  was  baffled,  turned  away,  hastily 
scrambled  up  the  bank  and  hurried  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Trenton,  without  once  glancing  over  his 
shoulder. 

Jack  gave  him  no  further  attention,  for  it  was 
not  necessary.  Laying  his  gun  in  the  boat,  he 
pushed  the  prow  clear,  sprang  aboard,  and,  grasp- 
ing the  tiller,  headed  up  and  across  the  stream. 
He  was  master  of  the  situation,  but  he  was  full 
of  resentment  toward  Aaron  Wagstaff,  who  had 
played  the  trick  on  him. 

Looking  up  the  river,  he  saw  that  the  other 
boat  had  almost  reached  its  destination.  The 
sail  looked  no  bigger  than  his  hand,  and  the 
craft  was  running  close  inshore,  as  it  approached 
the  place  where  it  was  to  land.     Aaron  himself 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  53 

was  but  a  tiny  speck  thrown  in  relief  against 
the  white  of  the  sail,  and  it  was  more  than 
likely  that  he  believed  it  was  Jim  Wilkins  who 
was  guiding  the  "  General  Washington "  that 
was  skimming  over  the  surface  after  him. 

"  If  he  keeps  up  this  sort  of  work,"  muttered 
Jack,  "  it  won't  be  long  before  he'll  find  himself 
in  the  worst  trouble  of  his  life." 

The  sight  of  the  gleaming,  beautiful  weapon 
lying  on  the  seat  in  front  of  him  did  much  to 
restore  the  temper  of  the  boy,  but  when  the 
flush  of  the  first  excitement  was  over,  his  mind 
reverted  to  the  woful  news  that  had  been 
brought  a  short  time  before  from  Washington's 
army.  It  was  a  serious  blow  to  lose  the  city 
of  New  York,  though  at  that  time  it  was  a 
smaller  town  than  Philadelphia,  the  capital  of 
the  new-born  United  States.  What  caused 
Jack  Marlton  to  shudder  was  what  had  been 
said  by  his  friend  Mr.  Fitch,  who,  thorough 
patriot  that  he  was,  did  not  allow  his  hopes  to 
deceive  him.     He  was  convinced  that  Philadel- 


54  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

phia  would  be  the  next  chief  point  of  attack. 
Not  only  would  it  be  attacked,  but  it  would  be 
captured,  for  with  Admiral  Howe's  fleet  to  assist 
the  large  and  well-equipped  army,  it  was  abso- 
lutely impossible  for  the  patriots  to  make  an 
effectual  resistance. 

"  When  things  get  to  going  wrong,  a  good 
many  people  are  scared  ;  I  suppose  hundreds 
that  have  been  shouting  for  independence  will 
give  up  and  say  it's  no  use  to  keep  up  the  fight 
any  longer,  but,"  added  the  young  patriot  with 
a  flash  of  his  fine,  hazel  eyes,  "  I  know  two  per- 
sons that  will  never  give  up  :  they're  General 
George  Washington  and  Jack  Marlton  ! " 

He  smiled  at  the  fancy  of  coupling  his  name 
with  that  of  the  great  man,  but  he  was  in  earn- 
est in  declaring  to  himself  he  would  never  yield, 
so  long  as  the  breath  of  life  remained  in  him. 

"  When  I'm  eighteen,  I'm  going  to  enlist — on 
the  very  day  !  I  am  now  in  my  seventeenth 
year  and  on  the  tenth  of  next  October,  will  be 
eighteen." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  55 

Strange  that  such  a  bright  youth  as  Jack 
Marlton  had  not  yet  detected  a  grave  error  in 
his  calculations,  but  it  may  be  that  his  fervent 
hopes  obscured  his  usually  clear  perception. 

A  few  minutes  later,  he  ran  his  boat  ashore, 
lowered  the  sail,  sprang  out,  carried  the  anchor 
well  up  the  bank  and  then  walked  rapidly  to 
his  home.  Night  had  fully  come  and  the  stars 
were  shining,  but  there  was  no  moon  in  the  sky. 
It  was  warm  and  still,  and  when  he  passed 
through  the  gate,  he  saw  his  father  and  mother 
seated  on  the  porch,  the  former  smoking  his 
pipe  and  not  uttering  a  word,  while  his  wife 
kept  up  a  continual  run  of  small  talk. 

"  Why,  Jack,"  called  the  mother  in  pretended 
surprise,  "  whose  gun  is  that  you  are  bringing 
home  $  " 

uMine,  of  course,"  was  the  proud  reply  ; 
"  Mr.  Fitch  asked  me  to  do  him  the  favor  of 
accepting  it  as  a  present  from  him,  and  I  didn't 
want  to  hurt  his  feelings  by  refusing.  Look 
out !  it's  loaded,"  added  the  son  as  he  handed 


56  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

the  weapon  to  liis  father,  who  grimly  turned  it 
over  and  inspected  it  as  well  as  he  could  in  the 
gloom. 

"  That's  a  very  handsome  present,"  commented 
the  captain,  with  a  warmth  he  rarely  showed, 
as  he  passed  the  rifle  back  to  his  son ;  "  I  hope 
it  will  be  of  some  use  to  General  Washington, 
when  you  join  his  army." 

"  I  shall  do  my  best  to  make  it  so,"  said  the 
sturdy  patriot,  seating  himself  at  the  feet  of  his 
parents  on  the  porch.  "  I  haven't  long  to  wait 
now, — only  a  little  more  than  a  month." 

"  A  little  more  than  a  month,"  repeated  his 
father,  removing  his  pipe  and  looking  curiously 
at  him ;  "  how  do  you  make  that  out  ? " 

u  This  is  the  last  day  of  August  and  my  birth- 
day comes  on  the  10th  of  October." 

"  How  old  will  you  be  on  your  next  birth- 
day?" 

"  Eighteen." 

"  No,"  interposed  the  mother  gently  ;  "  you 
were   born    October    10,   1759,  on    your   next 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  57 

birthday,  you  will  complete,  if  you  live,  seven- 
teen years  of  existence." 

"  Why,  I  was  thinking  I  would  be  eighteen 
years  old " 

"  You  will  enter  your  eighteenth  year,  but  you 
will  not  be  eighteen  years  old  until  October  10, 
1777." 

"  Is  that  so,  father  ?  "  asked  the  dismayed 
Jack. 

"  Of  course  ;  you  ought  to  know  without  ask- 
ing me." 

The  young  patriot's  heart  became  as  lead. 
What  cared  he  now  for  the  beautiful  rifle  that 
had  been  presented  him  ?  Ever  since  his  father 
promised  him  liberty  to  enlist  upon  reaching 
the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  had  been  figuring 
that  the  happy  day  would  come  in  the  approach- 
ing autumn,  and  behold  he  was  a  year  off  in 
his  calculations.  When  Jack  Marlton  first 
stepped  upon  the  porch  he  was  as  hungry  as  a 
wolf.  Now  all  his  appetite  was  gone.  He  asked 
whether  any  chores  were  awaiting  him,  but  his 


58  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

father  inere.y  grunted  "  No,"  and  continued  si- 
lently smoking.  After  a  while  the  son  bade  him 
good  night,  and,  rifle  in  hand,  went  to  his  trundle 
bed,  where  his  mother  as  usual  listened  to  his 
prayers  and  "  tncked  "  him  up. 

Jack  waited  until  she  passed  out  of  the  room, 
when,  looking  to  the  corner  of  where  he  had 
leaned  his  new  gun,  but  which  he  could  not 
see  in  the  gloom,  he  gave  one  vigorous  kick 
that  sent  the  quilt  and  sheet  flying  against  the 
opposite  wall,  and  then  feeling  mad  "  clean 
through  "  he  concentrated  all  his  rage  and  dis- 
gust into  the  one  fierce  exclamation — 

"  Confound  it !  n 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  59 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    DAYS    THAT    TRIED    MElf's    SOULS. 

Matters  grew  worse  and  worse,  Washing- 
ton, favored  by  Providence,  the  elements  and 
his  own  superb  generalship,  had  extricated  his 
army  from  its  peril,  after  the  disastrous  defeat 
on  Long  Island,  in  the  latter  part  of  August, 
1776,  and  retreated  up  the  Hudson.  While 
most  of  his  men  displayed  hne  bravery,  there 
was  a  woful  lack  of  discipline.  Nathan  Hale, 
the  martyr  spy,  after  passing  through  innumer- 
able perils  and  gathering  valuable  information 
for  the  commander-in-chief,  had  been  betrayed 
by  a  Tory  relative,  was  made  prisoner  and 
hanged,  expressing  his  regret  on  the  scaffold 
that  he  had  but  one  life  to  give  to  his  coun- 
try. 


60  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

The  practise  among  the  patriots  was  to  en- 
list for  short  terms,  so  that  men  were  constantly 
going  and  few  coming.  In  a  letter  to  Congress 
wrritten  on  the  2d  of  September,  Washington 
used  these  words  : 

"  Our  situation  is  truly  distressing.  The 
check  our  detachment  sustained  on  the  27th 
ultimo  has  dispirited  too  great  a  proportion  of 
our  troops  and  filled  their  minds  with  appre- 
hension and  despair.  The  militia,  instead  of 
calling  forth  their  utmost  efforts,  to  a  brave  and 
manly  opposition  in  order  to  repair  our  losses, 
are  dismayed,  intractable  and  impatient  to  re- 
turn. Great  numbers  of  them  have  gone  off ; 
in  some  instances,  almost  by  whole  regiments, 
by  half  ones,  and  by  companies,  at  a  time. 
This  circumstance  of  itself,  independent  of 
others,  when  confronted  by  a  well-appointed 
enemy,  superior  in  number  to  our  whole  col- 
lected force,  would  be  sufficiently  disagreeable ; 
but  when  their  example  has  infected  another 
part   of   the   army — when   their  want   of   dis- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  61 

cipline,  and  refusal  of  almost  every  kind  of  re- 
straint and  government  have  produced  a  like 
conduct,  but  too  common,  and  an  entire  dis- 
regard of  that  order  and  subordination  necessary 
to  the  well-doing  of  the  army,  and  which  has 
been  inculcated  before  as  well  as  the  nature  of 
our  military  establishment  would  admit  of — our 
condition  becomes  still  more  alarming  ;  and  with 
the  deepest  concern,  I  am  obliged  to  confess  my 
want  of  confidence  in  the  generality  of  the 
troops." 

A  few  days  after  this  gloomy  letter  was 
written,  the  British  fleet  entered  New  York 
harbor  and  an  armed  vessel  sailed  up  the  East 
River.  It  did  not  bombard  the  city,  however, 
but  evidently  intended  to  approach  by  the  land 
side.  General  Greene,  next  in  ability  to  AYash- 
ington,  favored  destroying  the  city,  so  as  to 
prevent  its  serving  as  winter  quarters  for  the 
enemy.  One  argument  of  Greene  was  that  two- 
thirds  of  the  people  in  New  York  were  Tories. 
It  was  finally  decided  to  post  troops  so  as  to 


60  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

The  practise  among  the  patriots  was  to  en- 
list for  short  terms,  so  that  men  were  constantly 
going  and  few  coming.  In  a  letter  to  Congress 
written  on  the  2cl  of  September,  Washington 
used  these  words  : 

"  Our  situation  is  truly  distressing.  The 
check  our  detachment  sustained  on  the  27th 
ultimo  has  dispirited  too  great  a  proportion  of 
our  troops  and  filled  their  minds  with  appre- 
hension and  despair.  The  militia,  instead  of 
calling  forth  their  utmost  efforts,  to  a  brave  and 
manly  opposition  in  order  to  repair  our  losses, 
are  dismayed,  intractable  and  impatient  to  re- 
turn. Great  numbers  of  them  have  gone  off ; 
in  some  instances,  almost  by  whole  regiments, 
by  half  ones,  and  by  companies,  at  a  time. 
This  circumstance  of  itself,  independent  of 
others,  when  confronted  by  a  well-appointed 
enemy,  superior  in  number  to  our  whole  col- 
lected force,  would  be  sufficiently  disagreeable  ; 
but  when  their  example  has  infected  another 
part   of   the   army — when   their  want   of   dis- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  61 

cipline,  and  refusal  of  almost  every  kind  of  re- 
straint and  government  have  produced  a  like 
conduct,  but  too  common,  and  an  entire  dis- 
regard of  that  order  and  subordination  necessary 
to  the  well-doing  of  the  army,  and  which  has 
been  inculcated  before  as  well  as  the  nature  of 
our  military  establishment  would  admit  of — our 
condition  becomes  still  more  alarming  ;  and  with 
the  deepest  concern,  I  am  obliged  to  confess  my 
want  of  confidence  in  the  generality  of  the 
troops." 

A  few  days  after  this  gloomy  letter  was 
written,  the  British  fleet  entered  New  York 
harbor  and  an  armed  vessel  sailed  up  the  East 
River.  It  did  not  bombard  the  city,  however, 
but  evidently  intended  to  approach  by  the  land 
side.  General  Greene,  next  in  ability  to  AVash- 
ington,  favored  destroying  the  city,  so  as  to 
prevent  its  serving  as  winter  quarters  for  the 
enemy.  One  argument  of  Greene  was  that  two- 
thirds  of  the  people  in  New  York  were  Tories. 
It  was  finally  decided  to  post  troops  so  as  to 


64  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Harlem  Heights  should  be  evacuated,  and  all 
the  forces  withdrawn,  excepting  three  thousand 
troops  that  remained  to  defend  Fort  Wash- 
ington. 

This  being  done,  Howe  cautiously  advanced, 
feeling  every  rod  of  the  way,  and  on  the  28th 
of  October,  made  his  attack.  The  Americans 
oifered  a  brave  resistance,  but  were  compelled 
to  fall  back.  This  placed  Fort  Washington  in 
great  danger,  but  it  was  decided  to  hold  it.  A 
furious  assault  was  made  on  the  16th  of  Novem- 
ber, when  Colonel  Robert  Magaw  of  Phila- 
delphia, the  commander,  surrendered. 

Washington  was  convinced  long  before  this 
that  the  enemy  meant  to  push  a  campaign  against 
Philadelphia.  He,  therefore,  crossed  the  Hud- 
son into  New  Jersey  and  posted  himself  with 
General  Greene  at  Fort  Lee.  Shortly  after, 
Lord  Cornwallis  with  six  thousand  troops  landed 
on  the  Jersey  side  at  a  point  almost  opposite 
Yonkers.  It  was  impossible  to  hold  Fort  Lee 
against  so  strong  a  force,  and  it  was  abandoned, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  65 

General  Greene  withdrawing  to  the  other  side 
of  the  Hackensack,  between  that  stream  and  the 
Passaic. 

With  a  view  of  protecting  Philadelphia, 
Washington  now  began  retreating  southward 
through  New  Jersey,  with  Cornwallis  almost 
upon  his  heels.  His  advance  was  frequently 
within  si^ht  of  the  American  rear-guard,  and 
the  two  bodies  continually  fired  at  each  other. 
At  the  then  small  town  of  Newark,  the  patriots 
were  passing  out  of  one  end  as  the  British  came 
in  the  other,  and  thus  the  retreat  and  pursuit 
was  kept  up  with  Washington  steadily  falling 
back  toward  Trenton,  on  the  road  to  the  capital 
of  the  country. 

Those  were  the  days  that  tried  men's  souls. 
It  seemed  as  if  every  house  passed  by  the 
Americans  on  that  woful  march  had  a  piece  of 
red  flannel  tacked  at  the  side  of  the  front  door 
as  a  sign  that  they  looked  to  the  enemy  for 
protection.  Winter  had  come,  and  few  of  the 
patriots  had  stockings,  many  only  bits  of  leather 


$6  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

for  shoes,  while  hundreds  were  barefooted. 
Winter  had  set  in  unusually  early  and  the 
weather  was  extremely  cold.  The  roads  were 
frozen,  and  snow  lay  in  the  fields  and  was  sprin- 
kled along  the  highways.  The  well-equipped 
British  army,  following  hard  after  the  pa- 
triots, saw  red  splotches  on  the  stiff  mud  and 
snow  and  knew  what  they  meant.  They  were 
blood  left  by  the  barefooted  patriots,  who  were 
still  ready  to  fight. 

That  is  to  say,  most  of  them  were,  but  it 
looked  for  a  time  as  if  the  ragged  army  would 
crumble  to  pieces  and  pass  out  of  existence. 
When  night  came,  it  was  found  that  there  were 
scores  less  than  at  the  start  in  the  morning. 
Daring  the  night,  scores  of  other  shadowy 
figures  slipped  past  the  sentinels  into  the  gloom 
and  started  on  their  wearisome  tramp  homeward. 

"  What's  the  use  of  fighting,  when  there's  not 
the  first  glimmer  of  hope  ?  "  was  the  question 
they  asked  themselves  and  then  answered  by 
deserting. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  67 

Thus  it  went  until  the  dissolving  army  en- 
tered the  town  of  Trenton  early  in  December, 
1776,  with  only  about  five  thousand  wretchedly 
equipped  soldiers,  all  hungry  and  in  rags,  but 
sternly  loyal  to  the  peerless  patriot  who  was 
still  their  leader.  Straggling  through  the  gap- 
ing town,  they  made  their  way  to  the  riverside, 
and,  taking  possession  of  all  the  boats  for  a 
long  way  up  and  down  stream,  crossed  to  the 
Pennsylvania  shore,  the  last  man  landing  just  as 
the  advance  of  the  twenty-seven  thousand  sol- 
diers of  Cornwallis  entered  the  upper  end  of 
Trenton,  all  exultant  and  confident  that  in  a 
short  time  the  only  formidable  American  army 
in  existence  would  be  destroyed  or  made  pris- 
oners. Cornwallis  was  the  best  officer  in  the 
British  service,  and  calmly  viewing  the  situation, 
who  could  see  a  spark  of  hope  for  Washington 
and  his  ragamuffins  ? 

Congress  had  fled  from  Philadelphia.  Hun- 
dreds and  even  thousands  of  the  staunchest 
patriots  from  the  beginning,  now  gave  up  hope 


68  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

and  accepted  the  offers  of  protection  made  by 
Howe  and  the  leading  British  generals.  Among 
these,  it  was  believed  for  just  a  hundred  years, 
was  Joseph  Reed,  the  adjutant-general  of  the 
Continental  army.  Then  the  pleasing  discovery 
was  made  that  the  officer  who  had  thus  sought 
protection  was  a  Colonel  Read  of  the  Burlington 
militia. 

When  the  patriots  forced  their  way  across 
the  Delaware,  there  was  considerable  ice  in  the 
river,  but  not  enough  to  cause  trouble.  Had 
the  enemy  possessed  boats  they  would  have 
followed  Washington,  but  there  was  no  haste 
in  the  matter.  Philadelphia  was  already  as 
good  as  captured,  and  the  rebels  were  too  insig- 
nificant to  receive  serious  attention. 

You  have  heard  of  the  Hessians  who  were  so 
intensely  hated  by  our  patriot  forefathers. 
They  were  natives  of  Hesse-Cassel  in  Germany. 
The  population  of  England  at  that  time  was 
less  than  seven  million  people,  but  she  was  rich, 
and  having  a  number  of  wars  on  her  hands,  she 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  69 

hired  several  thousand  soldiers  from  Hesse-Cas- 
sel  to  help  do  her  fighting  in  America.  It  was 
a  simple  business  matter  in  which  there  was  no 
sentiment,  and  since  such  was  the  case,  the 
patriots  held  these  foreigners  in  detestation. 

Cornwallis  remained  in  Princeton,  while  the 
force  occupying  Trenton,  composed  almost 
wholly  of  Hessians,  and  numbering  1,500,  was 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Johann  G.  Rail 
(sometimes  wrongly  spelled  "  Rahl  ").  They 
were  very  glad  to  halt  in  the  town,  where  all 
could  secure  comfortable  quarters,  and  the  offi- 
cers could  have  plenty  of  whisky  and  enjoy 
themselves.  They  lost  no  time  in  making  them- 
selves at  home. 

I  have  spoken  of  Abraham  Hunt,  the  prin- 
cipal merchant  in  Trenton  during  the  Re  volu- 
tion, who  lived,  on  the  site  of  the  present  hand- 
some Masonic  Hall,  at  the  corner  of  Warren 
and  State  Streets.  Colonel  Rail  was  made  wel- 
come by  Mr.  Hunt  and  became  a  favored  visitor 
there.     Merchant   Hunt   in   his   heart    wished 


70  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Washington  and  the  patriots  well,  but  he  was 
discreet  and  did  not  allow  his  patriotism  to  in- 
terfere with  his  business  interests. 

What  a  contrast  on  the  Pennsylvania  side  of 
the  Delaware  !  Amid  the  whirling  snow  and 
piercing  gale  that  made  the  most  warmly  clad 
person  shiver,  the  patriot  army  reared  its  di- 
lapidated tents,  which  were  not  sufficient  to  shel- 
ter more  than  one-half  the  men,  and  gathering 
wood  started  their  camp-fires,  around  which  the 
ragged  patriots  huddled  and  half  froze  or  ate 
their  scant  rations  or  tried  to  mend  the  rags 
that  only  partly  covered  their  bodies.  From 
the  neighboring  farms  forage  was  obtained  for 
the  horses,  and  the  poor  fellows,  inured  to 
suffering,  hunger  and  cold,  did  not  find  their 
situation  so  grievous  as  it  would  have  been  ex- 
cept for  their  former  training  and  experience. 

But,  looking  across  the  dark  river,  sweeping 
past  with  the  blocks  of  ice  grinding  and  churn- 
ing together,  they  saw  the  lights  in  Trenton 
twinkling,  like  stars,  low  down  in  the  sky,  and 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  71 

it  was  hard  to  know  that  the  Hessians  were 
enjoying  all  the  comforts  that  the  town  could 
afford,  while  the  defenders  of  their  country 
shivered  and  starved  so  near  at  hand. 


72  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTEE  VI. 

AN     IMPORTANT    ENGAGEMENT. 

Captain  James  Marlton,  his  wife  and  their 
son  Jack,  had  just  gathered  about  the  table  for 
their  evening  meal,  and  the  grim  veteran  was 
on  the  point  of  bowing  his  head  and  saying 
grace,  when  there  came  a  resounding  knock  on 
the  front  door.  There  were  no  servants  in  the 
family,  and,  instead  of  allowing  the  boy  to 
answer  the  summons  as  was  generally  the  rule, 
Captain  Marlton  himself  rose,  and,  passing 
through  the  front  room,  leaving  the  door  open 
behind  him,  so  as  to  utilize  the  light  of  the 
candle,  he  drew  back  the  door,  and  saw  a  large 
figure  in  military  uniform  standing  before  him, 
while  in  the  gloom  beyond  could  be  traced  the 
dim  outlines  of  the  horse  that  had  evidently 
borne  him  thither. 


I  THINK   YOU   WILL   REMEMBER   MY   NAME   WHEN   YOU  HEAR   IT,        SAID  GENERAL, 

Washington.— Page  73.  The  Boy  Patriot. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  73 

The  light  was  too  uncertain  for  the  men  to 
see  each  other's  faces  clearly,  and  the  visitor 
said  in  an  inquiring  voice,  probably  catching  a 
glimpse  of  the  empty  sleeve  : 

u  If  I  am  not  mistaken  this  is  Captain  James 
Marl  ton,  who  lost  his  arm  at  Quebec." 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  that's  my  name,  but  I  do  not  re- 
call you." 

"  I  think  you  will  remember  my  name  when 
you  hear  it :  it  is  General  Washington." 

It  was  a  wonder  that  Captain  Marl  ton  did 
not  collapse  where  he  stood.  He  caught  his 
breath,  recoiled  and  then  gasped,  as  if  to  himself  : 

"  General  Washington  ! — can  it  be  ?  " 

It  was  rare  that  the  great  man  indulged  in 
anything  resembling  h  amor,  but  he  did  so  in  the 
present  instance. 

u  Yes  ;  I  am  from  Virginia  ;  I  remember  you 
as  a  brave  patriot,  but  if  you  do  not  recall  my 
name,  perhaps  it  will  be  well  to  inquire  of 
General  Greene  and  Sullivan  and  some  others. 
I  am  sorry  you  are  in  doubt " 


74  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  Tliere  !  "  protested  the  veteran  saluting  ; 
"say  no  more,  General;  this  is  the  proudest 
moment  of  my  life  ;  will  you  come  in  and  sit 
awhile  ? " 

"  I  learned  where  you  lived  and  rode  out  on 
purpose  to  pay  my  respects." 

And  doffing  his  military  hat,  and,  slightly 
stooping,  so  as  to  permit  him  to  enter  the  door, 
the  Father  of  his  Country  followed  the  happy 
old  soldier  to  the  dining-room. 

"  Have  you  been  to  supper,  General  ? " 

"  Yes, — that  is  to  say  I  had  supper  last  night 
and  a  mouthful  this  morning,  but  rations  are  so 
scarce  with  us  that  I  did  not  wish  to  deprive 
the  men  of  even  a  small  portion,  and  I  have  not 
eaten  anything  since  then.  This  sort  of  life 
gives  me  a  pretty  vigorous  appetite." 

"  I  am  delighted  and  proud  to  have  you  join 
us,  but  I  beg  pardon,"  said  the  captain,  em- 
barrassed by  his  emotion  at  seeing  the  great  man 
under  his  own  roof,  and  noticing  his  benignant 
and    inquiring    looks    at   the   other    members 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  75 

of  his  family;  "this  is  my  wife,  Mrs.  Marl- 
ton;' 

Washington  bowed  with  the  grace  of  a 
Crusader  of  the  olden  time,  and  then  took  the 
hand  of  the  blushing  woman  in  his  own  big- 
palm  and  pressed  it  warmly. 

"  I  assure  you,  my  dear  madam,  that  it  is  a 
great  pleasure  to  me  to  make  the  acquaintance 
of  the  wife  of  one  of  the  best  soldiers  we  had 
in  the  old  French  and  Indian  War.  I  hope  you 
are  well,  though  your  looks  attest  the  truth  of 
that  without  inquiry  on  my  part." 

Poor  Mrs.  Marlton  tried  to  utter  a  suitable 
reply,  but  she  stammered  and  made  such  a  mess 
of  it  that,  to  relieve  her  embarrassment,  the 
visitor  turned  to  Jack,  who  had  risen  to  his  feet 
and  was  blushing  deeply. 

"  So  this  is  your  boy  Jack,"  remarked  Wash- 
ington, after  the  name  was  pronounced,  as  he 
took  the  dimpled  hand  in  his  own  and  looked 
smilingly  down  upon  the  youth ;  "  I  congratu- 
late his  parents  upon  having  such  a  manly  youth 


Y6  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

for  their  son.  How  happy  I  should  be,  if 
heaven  vouchsafed  such  a  blessing  to  me  ! " 

That  was  nearly  the  finish  of  Jack.  He 
swallowed  the  lump  in  his  throat,  blinked,  and 
looked  up  in  those  blue  eyes,  while  the  great 
man  retained  his  hand  and  then,  letting  his 
own  eyes  fall  to  the  floor,  the  youth  said — 
nothing. 

"  Yes, — no  one  could  wish  a  better  son  than 
Jack,"  said  the  father,  with  more  effusion  than 
he  had  ever  shown  ;  u  and  his  one  regret  is 
that  he  is  too  young  to  enlist  under  you." 

"  What  is  his  age  ?  "  asked  the  illustrious 
visitor,  still  retaining  the  hand  of  the  confused 
lad  and  beaming  kindly  upon  him. 

"  He  was  seventeen  on  the  tenth  of  last 
October." 

"  I  should  judge  from  his  stature  that  he 
was  older — at  least  eighteen." 

"  I  have  promised  that  when  he  becomes  eight- 
een, he  shall  offer  himself  as  a  recruit  in  your 
army." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  77 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  receive  him  ;  his  father 
was  a  good  soldier  and,  Jack,  I  like  your 
looks." 

"  But,  General,  surety  you  must  be  hungry," 
said  the  practical  housewife  ;  "  we  may  as  well 
dine  and  talk." 

The  invitation  must  have  been  welcome,  for 
the  visitor  was  in  sore  need  of  food.  At  the 
request  of  Captain  Marl  ton,  Washington  him- 
self asked  grace,  and  then,  it  need  hardly  be 
said,  he  did  full  justice  to  the  fine  cooking  and 
generous  hospitality  of  his  hosts. 

By  this  time,  Jack  Marlton  had  succeeded  in 
regaining  his  self-possession  and  was  able,  when 
addressed,  to  make  intelligible  answers.  He 
could  not  wholly  free  himself,  however,  from  a 
feeling  of  awe,  when  he  glanced  at  the  imposing 
figure,  the  broad  massive  chest  and  the  kindly 
but  majestic  countenance,  and  realized  that  he 
was  the  great  General  Washington,  the  one  man 
upon  whose  shoulders  rested  the  destiny  of 
America.     The  patriot  was  aware  of  this  feeling 


78  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

and  did  what  he  could  by  assuming  a  lightness 
of  manner  to  dissipate  it,  but  in  his  later  life,  he 
often  complained  that  his  presence,  much  to  his 
own  discomfort,  seemed  frequently  to  act  as  a 
damper  upon  the  buoyant  spirits  of  young 
people.  Few  men,  indeed,  found  it  easy,  when 
in  the  presence  of  Washington,  to  forget  the 
fact  even  for  a  moment. 

To  the  delight  of  the  family,  he  ate  a  boun- 
tiful meal  and  charmed  the  heart  of  the  wife  by 
many  compliments  upon  her  cookery.  The  dark 
bread,  the  browned,  juicy  game,  the  mealy 
potatoes  and  the  fresh  milk  could  not  have  been 
better. 

When  the  meal  was  finished  and  the  men 
talked  together,  while  the  wife  busied  herself 
with  her  household  duties,  Washington  revealed 
that  an  additional  errand  brought  him  to  the 
home  of  the  old  soldier. 

"  You  know  we  have  been  in  camp  for  some 
days  down  the  river,  nearly  opposite  Trenton, 
and  you  knoAv,  too,  Captain,  that  the  hopes  of 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  f9 

our  country  could  not  be  much  nearer  dead  than 
they  now  are." 

Captain  Marlton  sighed  as  he  lit  his  pipe, 
first  asking  permission  of  their  visitor. 

"  I  would  gladly  give  my  life  at  the  end  of  a 
few  years  so  that  I  might  have  two  arms  for  a 
short  time." 

"  You  need  not  assure  me  of  that,  but  some- 
thing must  be  done  to  revive  the  drooping 
spirits  of  our  country,  and,"  he  added  with  more 
animation  then  he  was  accustomed  to  show ; 
"we  are  going  to  do  it  !  To-morrow  night,  we 
go  up  the  river  and  then  cross  to  pass  down 
the  other  side  and  fall  upon  Colonel  Rail  and  his 
one  thousand  five  hundred  Hessians  at  Trenton. 
The  enemy,  as  you  may  know,  are  in  canton- 
ments from  Brunswick  to  below  Burlington. 
Howe  is  in  New  York ;  Cornwallis  preparing 
to  sail  for  England,  thinking  his  work  done. 
Ewing  with  the  Pennsylvania  militia  is  to  cross 
a  mile  below  Trenton  and  General  Gates  is  to 
pass  over  at  Bristol  and  attack  Count  Donop  at 


80  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Bordentown.  I  have  engaged  several  guides, 
but  I  have  thought  that  perhaps  your  boy  Jack 
would  be  willing  to  give  us  his  help." 

Jack's  face  glowed  with  joy  at  the  prospect  of 
being  of  some  assistance  to  Washington  and  the 
cause  of  independence.     The  great  man  smiled. 

"  I  do  not  think  there  is  an  acre  of  ground 
within  ten  miles  of  Mount  Vernon  that  is  not 
familiar  to  me  and  I  thought  it  might  be  the 
same  with  your  son." 

"  I  could  follow  every  foot  of  the  roads  blind- 
folded !  "  exclaimed  Jack. 

"  And,  if  your  good  parents'  are  willing,  will 
you  serve  as  one  of  my  guides  ?  "  asked  Wash- 
ington, turning  smilingly  toward  him. 

"  Nothing  could  suit  me  better  ;  when  you 
get  across — but  where  will  you  cross  the  river  ?  " 
asked  the  lad  stopping  abruptly  and  forgetting 
all  formality  in  his  patriotic  excitement. 

"  About  a  mile  above." 

"  That's  nearly  opposite  the  Brummagen 
road." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  81 

"  And  how  far  is  Brummagen  from  the 
river  ? " 

"  About  four  miles." 

"That  corresponds  with  what  I  have  been 
told  ;  do  you  know  of  the  Scotch  road  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  it  turns  off  from  the  Brummagen 
road." 

"  And  does  it  connect  with  the  Pennington 
pike  ? " 

"  It  leads  straight  into  it." 

"  So  I  have  been  informed  ;  and,  when  you 
reach  the  Pennington  pike,  what  then  ?  " 

"  Why  you  don't  have  to  follow  that  far 
before  you  come  right  into  Trenton  at  the 
upper  part  of  the  town  toward  Princeton." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  know  that  your  information 
agrees  with  what  I  have  received  from  others 
whom  I  believe  to  be  trustworthy.  And  all  this 
ground  is  familiar  to  you,  my  son  ?  Kemember 
that  we  expect  to  travel  all  those  roads  by 
night,  and  if  there  is  any  mistake  made,  it  may 
lose  us  the  battle." 


82  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  There  Avon't  be  any  mistake  if  you  do  as  I 
tell  you." 

Strange  as  it  may  sound,  General  "Washington 
shook  with  laughter.  The  simplicity  of  the 
boy,  who  in  his  glowing  patriotism  assured  the 
commander-in-chief  that  he  would  make  no  mis- 
take if  he  did  as  the  lad  directed,  was  so  deli- 
cious in  its  way  that  the  great  man  was  moved 
to  mirth,  and  even  the  father  and  mother  (who 
had  now  joined  the  group)  could  not  reprove 
their  blushing  son. 

"  I  mean — I  mean "  stammered  the  con- 
fused Jack. 

"  Just  what  you  said ;  don't  spoil  it  by  any 
apologies.  Well,  Jack,  if  you  will  hold  your- 
self in  readiness  to-morrow  night  I  shall  be  very 
glad  to  have  the  benefit  of  your  services." 

"  You  don't  forget,  General,  that  it  is  Christ- 
mas," suggested  the  youth  timidly. 

"  No  ;  that  is  the  reason  I  have  selected  that 
time  ;  the  Hessians  and  Colonel  Rail  will  be  so 
occupied  with    their  festivities  that  they  will 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  83 

give  little  thought  to  an  attack  by  those  whom 
they  hold  in  great  contempt.  I  regret,  but  am 
not  surprised,  to  hear  that  they  are  carrying 
things  with  a  hio\h  hand.7' 

"  Confound  them  ! "  exclaimed  Captain  Marl- 
ton,  smoking  vigorously. 

"  Mr.  John  Fitch — do  you  know  him  ?  "  asked 
Washington,  looking  around  abruptly  into  the 
face  of  his  host. 

"  He  is  one  of  our  best  friends — they  haven't 
harmed  him.  f  " 

"  No  ;  but  they  would  have  done  so,  had  he 
not  been  too  smart  for  them.  They  took  all 
the  weapons  from  his  shop  (you  know  he  is  a 
gunmaker),  burned  it  down,  and  he  tied  across 
the  river  two  days  ago  and  joined  us.  It  seems 
there  was  a  small  boat  which  we  overlooked 
that  served  his  needs." 

"  He  told  me  he  was  anxious  to  join  you," 
said  Jack. 

"  He  has  been  desirous  for  a  loner  time  of 
doing  so,  but  I  assured  him  he  could  do  much 


84:  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

better  in  his  trade,  for  lie  is  a  most  excellent 
workman." 

Captain  Marlton  pointed  to  the  two  rifles 
suspended  on  deer's  antlers  above  the  fireplace. 

"  He  made  the  smaller  one  and  presented  it 
last  summer  to  Jack." 

Washington  glanced  up  at  the  weapon. 

"  It  seems  to  be  a  very  fine  gun  ;  well,  Mr. 
Fitch  is  with  us  now,  and  says,  with  much  em- 
phasis, that  he  means  to  stay  to  the  end,  if  his 
life  is  spared.  But  to  return  to  my  main 
errand  in  calling  upon  you.  We  shall  make  a 
start  early  in  the  evening,  for  our  aim  is  to  cross 
the  river  by  midnight,  so  as  to  reach  Trenton 
before  daylight.  Much  depends  upon  a  sur- 
prise. I  need  not  remind  you  all  that  our  plan 
must  be  kept  secret  from  every  one." 

"  You  may  depend  upon  that,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, speaking  for  himself,  wife  and  Jack. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  our  greatest  danger 
is  from  Tories  ;  they  seem  to  be  everywhere. 
I  suppose  you  know  of  some  ?  " 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  85 

"  Our  next  neighbor  to  the  north  is  a  Tory, 
both  he  and  his  son,  a  young  man  a  year  older 
than  Jack." 

"  Mr.  Wagstaff  ;  I  have  made  inquiries  about 
him,"  replied  Washington,  who  seemed  never  to 
neglect  any  precaution. 

"  The  father  is  as  bitter  as  he  can  be,  but  he 
is  too  old  to  take  any  part  except  to  play  the 
spy  ;  it  is  his  son  Aaron  who  is  as  mean  as 
poison.  Why,  General,  last  summer,  he  said  to 
Jack's  face  that  you  were  a  traitor.  Luckily 
for  Jack's  hide,  he  pitched  into  the  young 
scamp  and  punished  him  so  that  he  showed  the 
effects  of  it  for  weeks." 

Jack  Marlton  would  have  given  everything 
he  expected  ever  to  have  in  this  world  could 
he  have  known  of  a  surety  the  effect  these 
words  produced  upon  General  Washington. 
He  did  not  speak,  but  turned  his  head  slowly, 
and  looked  fixedly  at  the  youth  for  a  full  min- 
ute. His  face  seemed  immobile,  but  Jack  fan- 
cied he  detected  just  the  shadow  of  a  smile  at 


86  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

the  corners  of  the  large  mouth.  He  seemed 
more  than  once  on  the  point  of  speaking,  but,  if 
so,  changed  his  mind  and  turned  his  glance 
to  the  face  of  the  father. 

"  I  do  not  see  how  this  young  man  can  learn 
of  our  intention  ;  he  and  his  father  will  become 
aware  of  our  marching  past  their  home  ;  but  he 
cannot  know  our  destination,  but  it  will  be  well 
to  be  on  our  guard,  and  I  shall  not  forget  your 
warning.  Are  there  any  others  in  the  neigh- 
borhood whom  we  should  suspect  ? " 

"  I  know  of  none,"  replied  the  captain,  "  but 
there  are  plenty  of  them  on  the  other  side." 

"  I  shall  have  little  fear  of  them.  With  the 
aid  of  your  son  and  the  other  guides  whom  we 
have  engaged,  we  shall  take  the  shortest  route 
to  Trenton.  It  isn't  likely  that  any  one  will 
learn  the  truth  until  we  have  passed  him ;  then, 
if  he  undertakes  to  pass  us,  it  will  be  easy  to 
check  him." 

"  Yes,  General,"  replied  the  captain  signifi- 
cantly, "  unless  he  cuts  across  lots" 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  87 

"  "Well,  we  shall  do  our  best  and  leave  the 
rest  to  heaven  ;  I  must  now  bid  you  good 
night,  my  friends  ;  the  countersign  for  to-mor- 
row night,  Jack,  will  be  '  General  Nathanael 
Greene.'  Come  to  camp  as  soon  as  you  have 
finished  your  evening  meal." 


gg  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE     EAYESDEOPPER. 

Twice  during  the  interview  between  Wash- 
ington and  the  Marlton  family,  Jack,  who  was 
sitting  near  the  window,  thought  he  heard  a 
slight  rustling  outside.  He  gave  no  attention 
to  it,  for  the  cold,  wintry  wind  was  blowing 
almost  a  gale,  and  the  shrubbery  and  naked 
rosebushes  were  so  close  that  he  supposed  the 
sound  was  caused  by  their  brushing  against  the 
side  of  the  house. 

When  the  illustrious  visitor  passed  to  the 
front  door,  the  three  went  with  him.  While 
the  good-bys  were  being  exchanged,  the  lad 
ran  down  the  short  walk,  opened  the  gate  and 
untied  the  bridle-rein  of  the  waiting  horse.  A 
minute  later,  Washington  followed  him  through 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  89 

the  gate,  and  as  he  placed  one  of  his  feet  in  the 
stirrup,  he  extended  his  hand  to  Jack. 

"  Good -by,  my  son  ;  I  count  upon  seeing 
you  to-morrow  night." 

"  I  expect  to  be  there,7'  replied  the  boy, "  and 
I  am  glad  to  do  anything  in  the  world  foi 
you." 

"  Thank  you." 

As  the  General  swung  into  the  saddle,  three 
members  of  his  staff,  who  had  been  patiently 
waiting  outside,  rode  briskly  forward,  saluted 
and  joined  him,  and  the  four  horsemen  started 
down  the  highway  through  the  gloom  at  an 
easy  gallop.  Jack  gazed  admiringly  after  their 
leader,  until  all  passed  out  of  sight.  Then  he 
turned  to  go  through  the  gate  to  the  porch  of 
his  home. 

His  father  and  mother  had  already  passed  in- 
side, and  the  door  was  closed.  With  no  thought 
of  the  faint  rustling  that  had  disturbed  him,  the 
youth  glanced  up  the  road.  As  he  did  so,  he 
caught  the  dim  outlines  of  some  one  standing 


90  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

in  the  middle  of  the  highway,  motionless  and 
apparently  intently  watching  him. 

Yielding  to  a  sudden  suspicion,  Jack  walked 
briskly  toward  the  figure.  Instantly  it  wheeled 
and  started  oft'  on  a  run.  Jack  was  after  it 
like  a  flash,  going  at  the  top  of  his  speed,  as  did 
the  fugitive.  Neither  spoke,  but  each  gave  his 
utmost  efforts  to  running,  where  a  misstep 
would  have  caused  a  bad  fall. 

Jack  Marlton  was  the  swiftest  runner  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  the  race  had  lasted  but  a 
few  minutes,  when  he  saw  he  was  steadily  srain- 
ing.  Still  the  other  kept  up  his  flight  as  if  his 
life  depended  upon  his  escaping. 

The  end,  however,  was  inevitable.  Less  than 
two  hundred  yards  had  been  covered,  when 
Jack  gripped  the  shoulder  of  the  fugitive. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  sullenly  demanded 
the  latter,  coming  to  an  abrupt  halt  and  facing 
about. 

"  I  want  you,  Aaron  Wagstaft  ;  what  do  you 
mean  ? " 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  91 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  chasing  me  like  this  ?  " 

"  Yon  were  listening  under  our  window,  when 
General  Washington  was  talking  to  us." 

"  Was  that  General  Washington  \  "  asked  the 
young  Tory,  with  well  affected  surprise  ;  "  I 
didn't  know  it." 

u  It  don't  do  you  any  good  to  lie  ;  you  know 
it  was  he  ;  I  ask  what  you  meant  by  listening 
under  our  window." 

"  I  haven't  been  listening  under  your  win- 
dow ;  I  was  walking  'long  the  road,  when  I 
seen  your  door  open  and  some  one  come  out  ;  I 
just  stopped  to  look,  when  the  first  thing  I 
knowed  you  made  a  dive  for  me." 

"  What  made  you  run  ? " 

"  To  get  away  from  you  ;  I  didn't  know  but 
what  you  had  a  gun." 

u  If  I  had  I  wouldn't  hare  had  to  chase  you  ; 
you  needn't  deny  it,  Aaron  ;  you  were  listening." 

"  I  tell  you  I  wasn't,"  persisted  the  Tory  in 
an  aggrieved  tone  ;  "  suppose  I  was,"  he 
added  in  a  blustering  voice,  "  what  of  it  \ " 


92  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  Did  you  hear  what  was  said  ?  " 

"  How  could  I  hear  what  was  said,  when  I 
warn't  listening  ?     You  talk  like  a  fool." 

Jack  Marlton  was  puzzled.  He  reflected 
that  General  Washington  had  freely  discussed 
his  intentions  for  the  morrow,  when  he  meant 
to  march  up  the  Pennsylvania  side  of  the 
Delaware,  cross  the  river  during  the  darkness, 
and,  by  a  forced  march  down  the  Jersey  side, 
surprise  Colonel  Kail  and  his  Hessians.  If 
Aaron  Wagstaff  had  learned  of  his  purpose,  he 
would  go  to  Trenton  on  the  morrow,  warn 
Colonel  Rail  and  overthrow  the  whole  scheme. 

Jack  believed  the  Tory  knew  all  about  it, 
though  he  could  not  be  forced  to  admit  any- 
thing of  the  kind.  What  should  be  done  ? 
The  youthful  patriot  hit  upon  a  novel  plan. 

u  Aaron,  the  last  time  you  and  I  had  a  talk 
it  ended  in  the  biggest  fight  of  our  lives  ;  I'm 
older  and  stronger  than  I  was  then  ;  do  you 
want  to  have  another  fight  with  me  ? " 

"  Why  should  we  fight  ?  "  whined  the  other, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  93 

scared  at  the  prospect  of  a  bout  at  fisticuffs  with 
his  young  master. 

"  All  right  ;  there's  only  one  way  to  prevent 
it,  and,  if  we  do  tight,  when  I  get  through  with 
you,  you  won't  be  able  to  walk  home." 

"  What  do  you  want  me  to  do  ? " 

"  Give  me  your  solemn  oath  that  you  won't 
tell  any  living  person,  nor  go  away  from  your 
home,  for — three  days,"  added  Jack,  after  a 
moment's  reflection. 

"  Why  will  I  swear  to  anything  of  that 
kind  ? " 

u  Because  it's  the  only  way  to  save  your 
hide." 

"  But  what's  the  use  ?  I  told  you  I  wasn't 
listening  and  didn't " 

"  That  hasn't  anything  to  do  with  it,"  impa- 
tiently interrupted  Jack,  with  a  threatening 
movement  of  his  fists  ;  "  come  !  be  quick  or 
take  a  hammering." 

"  Well,  since  it  doesn't  make  any  difference^ 
I  s'pose  I  might  as  well." 


94  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Jack  gave  the  curious  ceremony  all  the  solem- 
nity possible,  by  compelling  the  Tory  to  hold 
up  his  right  hand  and  repeat  after  him  an 
impressive  oath  that  he  would  do  as  demanded 
and  that  if  he  violated  the  pledge  in  any  way, 
he  would  expect  Jack  Marlton  to  shoot  him 
dead. 

"  Now  you  can  go,"  said  the  patriot,  who 
stood  motionless  in  the  middle  of  the  road, 
until  the  form  of  the  hurrying  sneak  was 
swallowed  up  in  the  gloom  in  the  direction 
of  his  home,  from  whose  windows  a  light 
twinkled. 

Jack  returned  in  a  thoughtful  mood,  and 
hardly  waited  until  he  was  seated  before  he  told 
the  particulars  of  the  incident.  The  mother 
made  light  of  it,  but  the  father  was  disturbed. 

"  It  looks  bad,"  he  said,  with  a  shake  of  his 
head  ;  "  I  have  no  doubt  that  Aaron  sneaked 
around  the  aides  and  overheard  every  word 
spoken  by  Washington  ;  you  know  the  General, 
though  he    does    not   speak  loud,  has   a  clear 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  95 

voice ;  lie  never  made  any  effort,  when  lie  was 
giving  commands  in  the  army,  but  we  often 
noticed  we  could  hear  him  further  than  any  one 
else,  though  he  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  lungs. 
Aaron  may  not  have  caught  our  words,  but  he 
didn't  miss  anything  the  General  said." 

"What  will  lie  do?" 

"  He's  telling  his  father  the  whole  thing  this 
very  minute,  and  they'll  hatch  up  some  plan  of 
getting  word  to  Colonel  Rail  to-morrow." 

Jack  heaved  a  sigh  of  despair. 

"  Then  it  is  all  up  and  the  country  will  be 
ruined." 

The  grim  captain  could  not  help  smiling  at 
the  woe  depicted  on  the  countenance  of  his 
son. 

u  That  doesn't  follow ;  I'll  go  down  the  camp 
the  first  thing  to-morrow  morning  and  tell  the 
General ;  then  he  will  send  a  squad  of  soldiers  to 
arrest  the  old  man  and  his  hopeful  youth,  or 
place  a  guard  around  the  house,  so  that  none  of 
them  can  get  away  until  it  is  too  late  to  do  any 


96  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

mischief.  When  you  are  a  little  older,  my  son, 
you  will  understand  how  easily  such  things  are 
done." 

Jack  brightened  on  the  instant. 

"  I  never  thought  of  that ;  I  was  just  as  sure 
as  you  that  Aaron  knows  all  about  Washington's 
plans,  but  I  didn't  know  what  to  do,  so  I  tried 
the  oath." 

"  It  did  no  more  harm  than  it  did  good." 

"  Don't  you  think  he  will  feel  bound  to  keep 
it  ?  "  asked  the  wife. 

"  He  might,  if  he  was  a  patriot,  but,  being  a 
Tory,  he  will  break  it  at  the  first  chance  and 
chuckle  to  think  what  a  fool  Jack  was  to  believe 
he  would  pay  the  slightest  attention  to  anything 
of  the  kind." 

In  good  spirits,  but  with  a  certain  anxiety, 
all  retired  some  time  later,  and,  as  was  the  cus- 
tom among  the  country  people,  they  were  astir 
before  it  was  fairly  light.  Jack  was  the  first 
one  down -stairs,  where  he  raked  off  the  ashes 
from  the  glowing  embers  of  wood,  upon  which 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  97 

he  heaped  other  sticks  that  speedily  broke  into 
crackling  flame,  and  diffused  a  genial  warmth 
through  the  room.  Then  he  hurried  to  the 
spring  not  far  away,  and,  from  the  pail  of  cold 
clear  water,  filled  the  kettle  which  was  hung  on 
the  crane  over  the  blaze.  By  this  time,  his 
mother  descended  the  stairs  and  took  charge  of 
matters  inside  the  house,  while  Jack  with  an- 
other pail  hurried  out  to  milk  the  cow  (the  sec- 
ond one  being  dry),  and  attend  to  the  two  horses. 
Soon  after  the  father  made  his  appearance,  and, 
by  the  time  Jack  had  finished  his  morning 
chores,  breakfast  was  ready  and  was  eaten  by 
candle  light. 

Captain  Marlton  did  not  forget  his  duty. 
He  went  directly  from  his  stable  down  the  high- 
way to  the  dilapidated  camp  of  the  Continental 
army,  opposite  the  town  of  Trenton.  General 
Washington  had  given  the  password  for  the 
night,  but  not  for  the  day.  So  the  captain  was 
halted  by  the  sentinel,  who  sent  his  name  to  the 
General.      A    few    minutes   later,    the    visitor 


98  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

entered  the  tent  of  Washington,  who  had  two 
callers — Generals  Greene  and  Sullivan,  both  in 
the  prime  of  life.  The  famous  Quaker  leader 
from  Rhode  Island  was  handsome  and  bore  no 
slight  resemblance  to  Washington  himself. 
Sullivan  was  shorter,  somewhat  inclined  to  cor- 
pulency, with  scant  black,  curly  hair,  florid 
smooth  face,  and  was  of  impulsive  temper. 
Neither  Greene  nor  Sullivan  had  served  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  and  Washington  in- 
troduced their  visitor  to  each,  who  greeted  him 
cordially. 

They  were  about  to  withdraw,  but  Washing- 
ton asked  them  to  remain.  It  took  the  captain 
but  a  few  minutes  to  explain  his  errand.  It 
produced  a  manifest  effect  upon  all  three  officers, 
but  Washington  showed  the  least  emotion.  The 
face  of  Sullivan  flushed,  and  there  was  an 
ominous  glitter  in  the  bright  gray  eyes  of  Greene, 
but  neither  spoke  until  after  the  commander- 
in-chief  asked  them  for  their  opinion. 

u  Arrest  the  whole  family,"    was  the  prompt 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  99 

suggestion  of  Greene  ;  "  it  is  no  time  for  trifling, 
Sir.7' 

"  I  should  say  arrest  and  shoot  the  father  and 
son,"  amended  Sullivan,  who  was  in  a  rage. 

"  On  what  charge  ?  "  mildly  asked  Washing- 
ton. 

"  That  of  being  Tories, — confound  them  ! 
They  have  no  right  to  draw  the  breath  of  life 
in  America." 

Greene's  eyes  twinkled  and  a  quick  glance 
passed  between  him  and  Washington.  It  was 
the  former  who  spoke  : 

"  That  might  work,  General,  if  they  were  the 
only  Tories  in  this  part  of  the  world,  but  I  am 
grieved  to  say  that  there  are  more  Tories  than 
patriots,  and,  since  equal  treatment  should  be 
meted  out  to  all,  I  see  no  reason  for  singling 
out  these  persons  for  distinction  above  their 
fellows." 

"  It  is  time  we  showed  more  sternness  to- 
ward  " 

The  angered  Sullivan  saw  the  sly  look  pass 


100  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

between  Washington  and  Greene,  and,  realizing 
the  situation,  abruptly  checked  himself,  con- 
cluding they  could  get  on  without  any  more 
counsel  from  him. 

"  The  river  is  so  full  of  ice,"  said  Washing- 
ton, in  his  grave,  thoughtful  voice,  "  that  we 
shall  have  hard  work  in  crossing,  and  it  seems 
to  me  there  is  hardly  a  possibility  of  our  friend 
the  young  Tory  forcing  his  way  through  with 
his  small  boat.  Nevertheless,  due  precaution 
must  be  taken.  I  shall  not  molest  your  neigh- 
bors, but  will  place  the  family  technically  un- 
der arrest.  I  shall  have  a  guard  stationed  out- 
side with  orders  not  to  allow  any  member  to 
leave  the  premises,  until  to-morrow  morning. 
By  that  time  it  will  make  little  difference 
whether  they  leave  or  stay." 

Having  completed  his  errand,  Captain  Marl- 
ton  had  the  good  taste  to  withdraw.  Had  he 
chosen  to  remain,  he  would  have  been  certain  of 
courteous  treatment,  but  with  such  an  impor- 
tant movement   impending,  the  commander-in- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  101 

chief  had  no  time  to  give  his  thoughts  or  ener- 
gies to  anything  else.  Repeating  his  eagerness 
to  do  anything  possible  to  aid  the  patriot  army, 
the  captain  withdrew  and  hurried  homeward. 

He  had  hardly  explained  matters  to  his  wife 
and  son,  when  five  soldiers,  under  a  sergeant, 
marched  briskly  past  the  house  on  their  way  to 
the  home  of  the  Wagstaffs.  Fearing  that  after 
all  they  were  too  late,  Jack  followed  them  at  a 
respectful  distance.  He  paused  in  the  road, 
near  the  privates,  when  the  sergeant  passed  up 
the  walk  and  sounded  the  huge  brass  knocker. 
To  the  lad's  delight,  it  was  answered  by  Aaron 
himself,  and  while  he  was  receiving  the  official 
notice  from  the  officer,  the  father  showed  him- 
self beside  his  son  and  took  part  in  the  angry 
conversation. 

"  They're  both  home,"  chuckled  the  happy 
Jack,  turning  about  and  making  off  ;  "  they 
can't  do  any  harm  now." 

But  little  did  he  understand  the  malignancy 
of  the  two  Tories. 


102  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

CROSSESTG    THE    DELAWARE. 

Christmas  Day,  1776,  was  one  of  the  severest 
of  an  usually  severe  winter.  It  broke  cold  and 
blustery  without  a  glimpse  of  the  sun.  As  the 
hours  passed,  the  cold  grew  bitter.  An  arctic 
wind  moaned  through  the  leafless  trees,  and  late 
in  the  afternoon,  the  air  was  filled  with  sleet, 
like  billions  of  needle  points  that  seemed  to  be 
shot  from  innumerable  guns.  When  they  struck 
the  hands  or  face,  they  pricked  as  if  they  were 
so  many  pin  points  and  the  cold  became  more 
penetrating. 

"All  the  better,"  was  the  thought  of  the 
patriots,  "  for  the  Hessians  will  not  be  expect- 
ing us." 

The  guard  stationed  at  the  house  on  the  prem- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  103 

ises  of  Sartos  Wagstaff  did  their  duty  and  in- 
deed a  little  more  than  their  duty,  as  the  old 
Tory  viewed  matters. 

A  part  of  the  squad  was  placed  at  the  front 
and  the  remainder  at  the  rear,  where  they  had 
a  clear  view  of  each  door.  When  the  situation 
of  the  sun  in  the  sky  showed  that  noon  had 
come  and  slightly  passed,  the  sergeant  gave  a 
resounding  blow  with  the  huo;e  knocker.  It 
was  Aaron  who  appeared  in  answer  to  the  sum- 
mons. The  sergeant  made  a  military  salute  and 
said : 

"  Tell  the  old  man  we're  ready  for  dinner." 

Aaron  was  a  coward  and  held  these  men  with 
loaded  muskets  in  awe,  but  this  impudence 
roused  his  resentment. 

"  Well,  what  have  we  got  to  do  with  that  ?  " 
he  demanded. 

"This  is  our  usual  time  for  dining,  unless 
circumstances  interfere,"  explained  the  sergeant, 
who  seemed  to  be  of  a  wa^ish  nature ;  "we're 
sorry  to  inconvenience  you,  my  gentle  youth. 


104  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

but  we  all  own  awful  appetites ;  if  you  keep  us 
waiting  much  longer,  we'll  eat  up  every  blamed 
thing  in  the  house  and  then  swaller  you  and 
your  dad  and  mommy  b}r  way  of  dessert.  We 
ain't  particular,  young  man,  and  if  you'll  take 
my  advice  you  won't  keep  us  waiting  long.  A 
fond  adieu  for  a  few  minutes,"  added  the  ser- 
geant, waving  his  hand  at  the  indignant  Aaron, 
who  closed  the  door  and  hurried  out  of  sight. 

Since  there  was  no  help  for  it,  the  family 
avoided  the  risk  of  rousing  the  hungry  patriots 
to  violence.  A  bountiful  meal  was  prepared, 
and  Aaron  showed  the  sergeant  and  three  of 
his  men  into  the  dining-room,  the  others  remain- 
ing on  guard  until  their  turn  came  to  feast. 

No  member  of  the  Wagstaff  family  appeared 
in  the  dining-room  while  the  meal  was  in  prog- 
ress. Everything  had  been  placed  on  the  table, 
and  the  self-invited  guests  were  left  free  to  help 
themselves.  It  need  not  be  said  that  thev  did 
so  with  a  vigor  and  heartiness  that  could  not 
have  been  improved  upon.     Every  man  partook, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  105 

and  all  agreed  that  it  was  the  best  meal  they 
had  eaten  for  months.  When  at  last  the)' 
marched  out  of  the  house  to  resume  their  watch, 
the  parents  and  Aaron  timidly  returned  to  the 
dining-room.  Surveying  the  very  scant  rem- 
nants, the  elder  remarked  : 

"  We  shall  have  to  live  on  short  allowance  for 
a  month." 

"  Let  us  be  thankful  they  didn't  eat  the  table 
itself,"  added  Aaron,  while  his  indignant  mother 
uttered  but  a  single  scornful  exclamation  : 

u  The  hogs  !  " 

Quite  early  that  evening,  amid  the  driving 
sleet  and  biting  cold,  the  Continental  army 
marched  past  in  the  highway.  They  numbered 
two  thousand  four  hundred  men,  and  were  the 
pick  of  the  troops,  as  were  the  officers  command- 
ing them.  Among  the  latter  were  Generals 
Greene,  Stirling,  Sullivan,  Stephens,  Stark,  Mer- 
cer and  St.  Clair,  while  Knox  had  charge  of  the 
artillery  that  rumbled  over  the  frozen  road. 
There  was  some  snow  on  the  ground,  but  it  was 


106  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

not  deep,  and,  as  one  of  the  men  expressed  it, 
seemed  to  have  been  all  blown  away  by  the 
hurricane  which  drove  across  the  country,  and 
at  times  blinded  them,  as  they  set  their  teeth  and 
pushed  their  way  against  it.  It  had  the  peculi- 
arity of  striking  one  in  the  face,  no  matter  what 
course  he  took,  for  one  seemed  always  to  be 
inarching  in  the  teeth  of  the  gale. 

There  were  no  lights  in  the  house  of  Sartos 
Wagstaff,  as  the  long  string  of  men,  rumbling 
artillery  and  officers  on  horseback  filed  past  in 
the  gloom.  The  Tories  were  afraid  that  some 
of  the  ragamuffins  might  be  tempted  to  take  a 
shot  at  them,  and  they  peeped  cautiously  from 
the  windows  until  the  last  stragglers  had  gone 
by  and  were  swallowed  up  in  the  night. 

Then  the  watchers  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief, 
expecting  the  guard  would  be  removed  and 
would  join  the  troops,  but  no  officer  of  the 
American  army  could  have  committed  an  im- 
prudence like  that.  Even  if  the  Tories  were 
unable  to  cross  the  river,  they  might  have  some 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  107 

way  of  signaling  by  means  of  camp-fires  or- 
torches  to  the  Hessians  on  the  other  side.  It 
was  a  long  march  that  lay  before  the  patriots, 
and  no  unnecessary  chances  were  taken.  So  the 
guard  remained,  announcing  when  night  had 
fully  come,  that  they  could  be  relied  upon  to  do 
justice  to  a  good  supper,  which  they  did. 

Washington  led  the  army  a  little  way  up  the 
river,  the  drums  and  fifes  silent,  until  he  reached 
the  present  site  of  the  village  of  Taylorsville, 
which  is  about  eight  miles  above  the  city 
of  Trenton,  but  on  the  Pennsylvania  side.  If 
you  ever  ride  northward  from  the  capital  of  New 
Jersey,  over  the  Belvidere  Division  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railway,  the  train  will  halt  at  a  station 
directly  opposite  Taylorsville,  which  bears  the 
name  of  "  Washington's  Crossing."  The  river  is 
spanned  by  a  faded  covered  bridge  and  marks 
the  place  where  the  patriot  army  crossed  the 
stream  on  Christmas  night,  1776. 

With  the  commander-in-chief  and  his  officers 
riding  silently  side  by  side,  their  senses  on  the 


108  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

alert,  they  noticed  some  things  that  pleased  them 
and  some  that  caused  concern.  Ordinarily,  the 
cold  and  sleet  would  have  been  unwelcome, 
but  it  was  not  so  on  that  eventful  night,  for 
where  so  much  depended  upon  surprising  the 
enemy,  all  this  contributed  to  that  end  ;  but  the 
ice  in  the  river  was  more  formidable  than  it  had 
been  since  Washington  entered  the  neighbor- 
hood. While  the  stream  was  invisible  in  the 
darkness,  the  huge  masses  could  be  heard  grind- 
ing  together,  and  tumbling  and  craunching  over 
one  another  with  a  loud  splashing  as  they  hur- 
ried past.  The  current  flowed  rapidly,  and, 
since  the  stream  was  of  varying  width,  there 
was  a  good  deal  of  roughness  and  confusion 
among  these  miniature  icebergs,  some  of  which 
were  large  enough  to  weigh  many  tons. 

It  would  seem  that  if  any  of  the  divisions  that 
were  to  try  the  Delaware  that  night  could  get 
across,  all  could  do  so,  but  when  Cadwalader 
marched  down  to  the  river's  edge  at  Bristol,  he 
looked  anxiously  at  the  vast  field  of  surging  ice 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  109 

watched  it  a  few  minutes  and  then  turned  away 
with  a  shake  of  his  head. 

"  Impossible,"  he  said  to  his  brother  officers, 
"  not  a  single  boat  could  be  forced  through  to 
the  other  bank,  nor  could  we  drag  our  artillery 
over  these  piles  of  ice  along  shore." 

It  should  be  said  that  the  Delaware  at  Bristol 
is  more  than  double  its  width  at  Trenton,  so 
there  was  reason  for  General  Cadwalader's  fears. 
In  fact,  down  to  the  present  time,  the  Delaware 
has  never  been  bridged  below  Trenton. 

Much  the  same  thing  occurred  with  General 
Ewing,  when  he  reached  the  river  almost  oppo- 
site Trenton,  near  the  scene  of  Washington's 
encampment.  Thus  it  came  about  that  the 
Hessian  and  English  detachments  at  Borden- 
town,  Burlington  and  Mount  Holly  were  not 
disturbed. 

Well  aware  of  the  great  task  before  him, 
Washington  had  under  his  command  several 
hundred  Marblehead  boatmen, — the  same  that 
had   handled    the    boats    when    the   army  was 


HO  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

extricated  with  so  much  skill  from  its  perilous 
situation  on  Long  Island,  after  the  disastrous 
defeat  in  the  previous  August.  These  men 
Could  be  counted  upon  to  do  everything  within 
the  limits  of  human  possibility  with  the  boats, 
but  there  are  a  good  many  things  that  are  be- 
yond those  limits. 

In  preparation  for  this  important  movement, 
a  large  number  of  flatboats  had  been  gathered 
on  the  Pennsylvania  shore,  where  they  were 
under  charge  of  a  guard  awaiting  the  coming  of 
the  army.  They  were  broad  structures  made  of 
thick  planks,  very  strong  and  capable  of  floating 
almost  as  much  as  could  be  crowded  into  them. 
The  propelling  power  was  the  long  poles,  some 
of  them  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  in  length,  and 
capable  of  reaching  bottom  in  the  deepest  part 
of  the  river.  The  channel  of  the  Delaware  at 
that  point  is  quite  narrow,  and  there  would  not 
have  been  the  least  difficulty  in  ferrying  the 
men,  artillery  and  stores  across,  except  for  the 
ice. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  Ill 

Under  the  cheery  directions  of  General  Knox, 
the  cannon  were  run  on  board  of  the  boats,  by 
the  light  of  the  big  fires  that  had  been  kindled 
on  the  bank.  As  soon  as  a  boat  was  sufficiently 
loaded,  the  Marblehead  men  shoved  off  and 
began  their  battle  with  the  furious  river.  A 
few  minutes  later,  another  started  and  then  a 
third  and  a  fourth,  one  of  which  contained  sol- 
diers alone. 

The  storm  increased.  The  gale  was  so  vio- 
lent that  it  carried  the  sleet  and  snow  almost 
horizontally  against  the  men,  many  of  whom, 
though  their  countenances  had  been  browned 
and  toughened  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  had  to 
bend  their  heads  against  what  was  like  fine  bird- 
shot  fired  into  their  faces.  In  their  eagerness 
to  shove  the  boats  clear,  some  of  the  soldiers 
stepped  knee-deep  into  the  icy  water,  and  it  is 
a  sad  fact  that  more  than  one  of  those  men  were 
barefoot ! 

Whose  heart  does  not  throb  with  admiring 
gratitude  at  the  recollection  of  the   "  Boys  of 


112  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

'76,"  that  left  their  bloody  footprints  on  the 
snow,  and  with  gnawing  hunger  and  their  cloth- 
ing in  rags,  won  our  independence  for  us  ? 

One  man,  in  his  anxiety  to  work  a  boat  free, 
waded  out  to  the  further  end,  where  the  water 
reached  to  his  waist.  Tossing  his  musket  in- 
side the  craft,  he  bent  his  shoulder  against  the 
corner  of  the  boat,  and  had  just  moved  it  clear 
when  an  enormous  mass  of  ice  seemed  to  make 
a  direct  lunge  at  him  and  carried  him  off  his 
feet.  His  power  as  a  swimmer  saved  him  from 
going  under  the  surface,  and,  resting  his  bare 
hand  for  an  instant  on  the  ice,  he  speedily  re- 
gained his  feet. 

Several  of  his  comrades  who  saw  his  mishap 
broke  into  laughter,  but  none  laughed  more 
heartily  than  he.  Seizing  the  gunwale,  he 
vaulted  over  into  the  boat  as  lightly  as  if  leap- 
ing from  the  ground  into  the  saddle  of  his 
horse. 

"  I  was  caught  foul  that  time,"  he  remarked, 
catching  up  one  of  the  poles,  while  the  water, 


THE  OWUmMMTO  STOOD  ERECT  WITH  ARMS   FOLDED,  LOOKMB   OFF  IS'  THE 
BARENESS  TOWARDS  THE  JERSEY  SHORE.-Page  1,3.  Tke  BoyPuMoT 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  113 

dripping  from  his  saturated  garments,  quickly 
turned  into  icicles  aboutdiis  bare  feet  ;  u  and  I 
reckon  I'll  know  better  after  this." 

Washington  waited  till  most  of  the  troops  had 
anbarked,  when  he  stepped  into  one  of  the 
boats  with  General  Knox.  The  latter  seated 
himself  on  the  gunwale,  but  the  commander-in- 
chief  stood  erect,  with  arms  folded,  looking  off 
in  the  darkness  toward  the  Jersey  shore.  His 
horse,  beside  several  belonging  to  other  officers, 
was  taken  over  on  other  boats. 

Three  big  bonfires  had  been  kindled  on  the 
Jersey  side,  as  if  in  reply  to  the  signals  oppo- 
site, and  they  shed  an  encouraging  light 
through  the  gloom.  Looking  across  at  them, 
myriads  of  slanting  rays  of  sleet  resembled  so 
many  spears  as  they  gleamed  against  the  yellow 
background.  The  shadowy  figures  of  men 
could  be  observed  passing  back  and  forth  in 
front  of  the  blaze,  many  of  whom  paused  to 
warm  their  chilled  limbs  and  bodies. 

The  action  of  General  Knox,  soon  after  leav- 
S 


114  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

ing  the  shore,  showed  he  was  uneasy,  for  he 
rose  to  his  feet,  peered  around  in  the  gloom,  sat 
down  again,  and  almost  immediately  was  up 
like  a  man  full  of  misgiving.  When  he  looked 
at  the  Marblehead  fellows,  as  he  dimly  saw 
them  fighting  off  the  plunging  masses  of  ice, 
forcing  the  boat  between  and  around  them,  now 
and  then  vainly  striving  to  avert  a  resounding 
collision  with  the  enormous  cakes,  he  could  not 
help  admiring  their  skill  and  power. 

"  But  for  them  every  boat  would  be 
swamped,"  he  said,  coming  to  his  feet  once 
more  close  to  Washington. 

The  latter,  with  arms  folded,  his  military 
cloak  blowing  off  his  shoulders,  was  still  stand- 
ing erect  with  folded  arms,  as  if  he  had  taken 
his  station  to  watch  a  parade  of  his  army. 
With  his  feet  spread  slightly  apart,  he  had 
braced  himself  so  well  that  the  jarring  of  the 
cumbersome  craft  did  not  disturb  him. 

"  Yes." 

He  nodded  his  head,  as  he  made  this  response 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  H5 

to  the  remark  of  General  Knox,  but  said  no 
more,  and  the  officer  who  knew  the  moods  of 
the  commander-in-chief  so  well,  ventured  noth- 
ing further.  Truth  to  tell,  Knox  was  in  so  nerv- 
ous  a  state  over  the  peril  of  the  boat  that  he 
gave  no  thought  to  anything  else.  He  had 
been  full  of  the  scheme  of  surprising  the  Hes- 
sians, and  was  among  the  most  enthusiastic  of 
all  the  officers,  but  nothing  of  that  was  in  his 
mind  now  :  he  only  prayed  for  one  thing,  which 
was  that  they  might  speedily  reach  the  solid 
land  of  New  Jersey. 


116  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   MARCH    TO    TRENTON. 

"  Thank  the  Lord  !  " 

It  was  General  Knox  who  uttered  the  fervent 
exclamation,  as  he  bounded  out  of  the  bumping 
flatboat  and  landed  on  the  icy  shore.  Wash- 
ington turned  his  head  and  looked  inquiringly 
at  him,  but  did  not  speak.  Then,  when  a  couple 
of  the  men  held  the  craft  still,  he  walked  its 
length  and  stepped  to  land  with  that  dignity 
that  was  a  part  of  his  nature. 

Naturally  the  work  of  forcing  the  boats 
through  the  ice-gorged  river  caused  them  to 
drift  down-stream,  so  that  land  was  made  con- 
siderably lower  down  than  the  starting-point. 
Because  of  this,  the  camp-fires  were  not  really 
opposite  those  on  the  Pennsylvania  bank. 
Washington's  boat  had  come  ashore  so  near  one 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  Hf 

of  these  that,  when  he  joined  Knox,  the  glow 
was  reflected  from  their  clothing.  The  sleet 
was  still  fiercely  driving  through  the  air,  and  it 
seemed  to  be  growing  colder  with  every  minute. 

Walking  to  the  nearest  fire,  Washington  and 
Knox  joined  Greene,  Sullivan  and  Stirling,  the 
other  officers  being  busy  superintending  the 
work.  Knox  did  not  pause  more  than  a  min- 
ute, when  he  hurried  off  to  where  a  number  of 
men  were  dragging  one  of  the  cannon  out  of  a 
boat. 

Knox,  formerly  a  bookseller  of  Boston,  was 
the  best  artillery  officer  of  the  Revolution.  He 
did  splendid  service  all  through  the  war  and, 
strange  to  say,  several  years  after  the  death  of 
Washington,  he  lost  his  life  through  the  lodg- 
ment of  a  chicken-bone  in  his  throat  at  the 
dinner  table. 

Washington's  plan  was  to  reach  Trenton  in 
the  early  morning,  but  he  saw  that  the  labor 
of  crossing  the  river  would  delay  him.  It 
was   close   to   midnight  and  all  the  troops  had 


118  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

not   yet  landed.     When   they  should  do  so,  a 

march  of  eight  or  nine  miles  was  still  before 

them. 

While  everything  was  being  pushed  with  all 
possible  vigor,  a  party  of  countrymen  emerged 
from  the  storm  and  gloom  and  came  up  to  the 
camp-fire,  where  the  commander-in-chief  was 
standing.  They  saluted  with  some  timidity,  and 
the  leader  announced  that  they  were  the  men 
who  had  been  engaged  to  act  as  guides  to  the 
American  army  in  the  march  to  Trenton.  He 
looked  at  them  with  interest.  They  were 
sturdy,  manly  fellows,  all  warmly  clothed,  their 
ears  muffled  up,  so  that,  in  most  cases,  only  their 
noses  and  eyes  showed.  Their  trousers  were 
tucked  in  the  tops  of  their  heavy  boots,  and 
nearly  every  one  carried  a  heavy  staff  in  his 
mittened  hands. 

Washington  expressed  his  pleasure  at  seeing 
them  and  asked  their  names.  Here  they  are, 
and  my  reader  must  bear  in  mind  that  there  is 
no  fiction  in  this  statement.     I  give  the  names 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  119 

of  all  the  men  who  served  Washington  as  guides 
on  that  memorable  march  to  Trenton.  I  was 
well  acquainted  with  many  of  their  grandsons 
(one  of  whom  was  General  Gershorn  Mott,  who 
made  a  highly  creditable  record  in  the  late  Civil 
war)  and  their  descendants  are  all  well  known 
to-day  in  Trenton. 

Colonel  Joseph  Phillips,  Captain  Philip 
Phillips,  Lieutenant  Elias  Phillips,  all  of  whom 
belonged  to  Lawrence  township  ;  Joseph  Inslee, 
John  Muirhead,  John  Guild,  Edon  Burroughs, 
Stephen  Burroughs,  Ephraim  Woolsey,  Henry 
Simonds,  all  of  Hopewell  Township ;  Captain 
John  Mott,  David  Lanning,  Amos  Scudder  and 
"William  Greene  of  Trenton. 

While  Washington  was  listening  to  these 
names,  slightly  nodding  his  head  as  each  was 
pronounced,  by  way  of  acknowledgment,  his 
eyes  wandered  among  the  heavily  clothed  figures, 
as  if  disappointed  over  something.  It  should 
be  said  that  the  guides  named,  who  were  officers, 
were  attached  to  the  army  itself,  and  were  not 


120  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

in  the  group  that  lined  irregularly  up  in  front 
of  the  commander-in-chief. 

"  You  are  a  fine  lot  of  men,"  was  the  com- 
ment, "  and  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  meet 
you.  An  important  service  is  expected  of  you 
to-night." 

u  We  shall  do  our  utmost  to  meet  your 
wishes,"  replied  the  spokesman,  whose  name  I 
have  never  been  able  to  learn,  though  I  sus- 
pect it  was  John  Muirheacl. 

"  You  are  a  goodly  number,"  continued  Wash- 
ington, "  but  I  expected  to  see  one  among  you 
who  is  absent." 

The  men  looked  woncleringly  around  at  one 
another,  as  if  searching  for  some  person  whom 
they  had  forgotten,  but  who  was  not  dis- 
covered. 

"  We  think  all  that  were  engaged  are  here," 
respectfully  suggested  the  leader. 

"  This  was  not  a  man,  but  a  boy,  Jack  Marl- 
ton  by  name  ;  perhaps  some  of  you  are  ac- 
quainted with  him  ? " 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  121 

The  men  glanced  significantly  toward  one 
another,  and  Muirhead  replied  : 

"We  all  know  him  well,  General,  and  there 
isn't  a  finer  lad  in  the  country." 

"  I  am  sure  of  that ;  you  will  be  good  enough 
to  remain  near ;  wTe  shall  start  as  soon  as  we 
can  make  ready." 

The  commander  gave  his  attention  to  the 
more  important  work  in  hand.  He  had  a 
general  knowledge  of  the  country,  and  had  per- 
fected his  plan  before  leaving  Pennsylvania. 
As  perhaps  my  reader  knows,  there  is  a  road 
which  follows  the  bank  of  the  Delaware,  it  may 
be  said  almost  from  its  source.  It  keeps  close 
to  the  stream  and  is  known  as  the  "river 
road."  Naturally  it  leads  into  the  lower  end 
of  the  town,  which  years  ago  w^as  known  as 
"  South  Trenton."  Another  highway  goes  back 
into  the  country,  and  by  following  it,  one  will 
in  time  strike  the  Pennington  pike  which  enters 
Trenton  at  the  northern  end,  or  as  it  is  still 
known,  the  tt  head  of  town."     Less  than  a  mile 


122  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

separates  these  two  localities,  and  the  plan  of 
Washington  was  to  divide  his  force,  so  that  the 
two  divisions  should  reach  Trenton  at  the  same 
time.  There  is  comparatively  slight  difference 
in  the  length  of  the  respective  routes. 

This  division  of  the  army,  however,  was  not 
made  at  the  riverside,  but  at  the  hamlet  of 
Birmingham,  still  called  by  the  countrymen, 
"  Brummagen,"  which  is  several  miles  inland 
from  the  Delaware.  It  was  dark,  bitterly  cold, 
and  with  the  air  full  of  driving  sleet,  when  the 
two  thousand  four  hundred  Americans  reached 
the  forking  of  the  roads  at  Birmingham.  Not 
a  light  twinkled  from  a  single  house  of  the 
farmers,  who  were  almost  as  numerous,  in  1776, 
in  that  neighborhood  as  they  are  to-day. 
Hardly  had  the  troops  halted,  when  a  dog  from 
one  of  the  dwellings  near  at  hand  began  bark- 
ing. No  attention  was  paid  to  him,  even  when 
several  others  joined  in  the  outcry ;  but,  by 
and  by,  a  light  gleamed  in  one  of  the  windows, 
and  a  man  closely  muffled  came  gingerly  down 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  123 

the  short  lane  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  alarm  of 
the  canines.  When  he  caught  sicrht  of  the  hun- 
dreds  of  shadowy  figures,  heard  the  commands 
of  the  officers,  and  noticed  the  moving  to  and 
fro,  the  fellow  was  seized  with  a  wild  panic  and 
ran  back  to  his  house,  as  if  a  bloodhound  were 
pursuing  and  nipping  at  his  heels. 

The  arrangement  was  that  General  Sullivan 
should  continue  the  march  to  Trenton  by  the 
river  road.  The  main  division  included  the  bri- 
gades of  Mercer,  Stirling,  Stephen  and  De  Fer- 
moy,  under  the  command  of  Greene,  and  accom- 
panied by  Washington  were  to  push  further  in- 
land over  the  old  Scotch  road  to  the  Penning- 
ton pike.  Under  Sullivan's  command  were  the 
brigades  of  St.  Clair,  Glover  and  Sargeant. 
There  was  a  conference  of  the  leading  officers, 
who  had  learned  the  precise  distance  to  be  trav- 
eled, and  there  seemed  to  be  no  reason  why 
the  two  divisions  should  fail  to  carry  out 
the  plan  of  striking  the  town  at  the  same 
hour. 


124:  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Everything  being  fully  understood,  the  army 
split  in  two,  Sullivan,  as  has  been  stated,  heading 
for  the  river  road,  while  Washington  and  his 
brigades  pushed  inland  over  the  highway  lead- 
ing to  the  Pennington  pike  to  the  northward. 
The  guides  of  course  also  divided. 

The  march  was  of  the  most  dismal  character. 
There  was  no  martial  music,  and  the  figures 
craunching  over  the  snow,  through  the  arctic 
sleet  and  driving  wind,  looked  like  so  many 
straggling  phantoms,  led  by  phantom  horsemen. 
Occasionally,  a  starlike  point  of  light  gleamed 
across  the  fields,  but  most  of  the  time  it  was 
murky  gloom  that  deepened  only  when  the 
road  led  through  a  stretch  of  woods. 

It  would  be  idle  to  attempt  to  read  the 
thoughts  of  the  great  man  who  led  this  com- 
paratively small  band  of  patriots  to  the  impor- 
tant achievement  that  was  to  be  made  within 
the  next  few  hours,  but,  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
a  remark  or  two  which  he  made  to  Genera] 
Greene,  his  most  trusted  officer,  showed  that  as 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  125 

is  often  the  ease,  when  one  knows  himself  to  be 
on  the  edge  of  momentous  events,  he  was  per- 
plexed by  an  affair  so  insignificant  that  one  can- 
not fail  to  wonder  that  it  had  any  place  at  all 
in  his  thoughts. 

He  could  not  understand  why  Jack  Marlton 
was  absent  from  his  place  among  the  guides. 
The  great  man  understood  boy  nature  well 
enough  to  read  the  delight  and  joy  which  came 
to  the  son  of  his  old  friend  at  the  prospect  of 
doing  a  favor  to  the  commander-in-chief  of  the 
American  army. 

Not  only  was  he  absent  from  among  the 
guides,  but  he  had  not  presented  himself  at 
camp  as  he  expected  to  do.  He  had  been  given 
the  countersign  by  special  favor,  and  it  was  un- 
derstood that  when  he  went  thither,  he  would 
ask  at  once  to  be  taken  into  Washington's 
presence. 

What  troubled  the  great  man  was  the  fear 
that  some  harm  had  befallen  the  youth.  From 
some  cause,  he  felt   an  unusual  interest  in  him, 


126  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

but  it  could  not  be  expected  that  much  as  he 
liked  the  boy,  he  could  continue  to  speculate  as 
to  the  reason  of  his  absence,  for  much  more  im- 
portant matters  demanded  his  thoughts. 

Perhaps  half  the  distance  to  the  Pennington 
pike  had  been  passed,  when  the  sound  of  a  gal- 
loping horse  rang  out  at  the  rear  of  Greene's 
division.  The  next  minute  a  courier  from 
General  Sullivan  reined  up  beside  General 
Washington  and  saluting  said : 

"  The  compliments  of  General  Sullivan  to 
General  Washington,  and  he  is  sorry  it  is  his 
duty  to  report  that  all  our  powder  has  become 
wet  and  he  begs  to  inquire  of  General  Washing- 
ton what  he  shall  do." 

"  Give  the  enemy  the  bayonet.'1 

The  words  were  shot  from  the  mouth  of 
Washington  as  if  each  were  a  bullet.  He  uttered 
not  another  syllable,  and  the  courier,  saluting 
again,  wheeled  his  horse,  and  was  off  like  the 
wind  through  the  storm  and  darkness.  When 
he  overtook  his  immediate  commander,  and  de- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  127 

livered  the  reply  of  the  chief,  Sullivan  shrugged 
his  shoulders  and  muttered : 

"  Umph !  he  seems  to  be  in  earnest  to- 
night." 

A  mile  further,  and  here  and  there  a  light 
twinkled  in  from  a  farmhouse.  Morning  was 
approaching,  and  most  of  those  people  rose  early, 
as  do  their  descendants  to-day.  Some  of  them 
heard  the  sounds  of  the  craunching  footsteps, 
over  the  snowy  road,  the  whinnying  of  the 
horses  in  reply  to  the  calls  of  those  in  the  stalls, 
and  they  came  to  the  doors  to  look  out  upon  the 
phantom-like  army,  straggling  along  the  high- 
way. Few  or  none  could  have  suspected  the 
real  meaning  of  the  sight. 

Another  half-mile,  and,  in  the  misty  light,  a 
horseman  was  observed  riding  headlong  across 
the  fields.  He  seemed  to  have  been  following 
the  troops  for  some  distance,  as  if  to  satisfy  him- 
self of  their  identity,  when  he  wheeled  to  one 
side,  leaped  his  animal  over  the  low  rail  fence 
and   was   off   like  an  arrow,  with  the  evident 


128  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

intention  of  placing  himself  in  advance  of  the 

army  and  carrying  the  news  to  Trenton. 

He  was  quick,  but  not  cpick  enough.  A 
sharp  call  to  halt  was  made,  and  failing  to  obey 
it,  a  volley  was  fired.  Down  went  horse  and 
rider  in  a  heap,  the  man  turning  a  complete 
somersault. 

But  otherwise  he  was  unharmed.  The  sol- 
diers had  aimed  at  the  animal,  who  received  all 
the  bullets  sent  in  that  direction.  By  the  time 
the  dazed  fellow  could  climb  unsteadily  to  his 
feet,  he  was  surrounded,  among  the  captors 
being  David  Lanning  and  Amos  Scudder,  two 
of  the  guides. 

"  Do  you  know  who  he  is  ?  "  asked  a  lieu- 
tenant. There  was  sufficient  light  to  see  the 
scared  face  quite  plainly,  and  Lanning  re- 
plied : 

"  Why,  that's  Bill  Johnson  ;  he  lives  two  miles 
back  on  the  road  to  the  left." 

':  What  sort  of  a  fellow  is  he  ?  " 

"  The  biggest  liar  within  eighteen  and  a  half 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  129 

miles  of  Trenton,  the  worst  loafer  and  good-for- 
nothing  in  the  whole  state.  Besides  that,  he's 
a  Tory.  It's  a  pity  you  didn't  hit  1dm  instead 
of  his  horse,  for  the  animal  is  worth  something, 
and  he  ain't." 

"Why,  David,"  said  the  scapegrace  with  a 
reproachful  look ;  "  it  ain't  Christian  to  speak 
that  way  about  a  neighbor." 

"  Why  did  you  try  to  ride  around  us  ?  "  asked 
the  lieutenant. 

"  I  was  in  a  hurry  to  do  an  errand  for  my 
wife ;  besides  I  didn't  hear  you  when  you 
called  to  me  to  halt." 

uHow,  then,  do  you  know  I  called  to 
you?" 

"  I  don't,"  was  the  unabashed  reply  ;  "  I  only 
guessed  it." 

"  Well,  we'll  take  charge  of  you." 

"  You  ain't  agoin'  to  shoot  me,  be  you  ? "  asked 
the  fellow,  trembling  with  terror. 

"That  depends  on  how  you  behave  yourself, 
and  what  the  General  says  ;  tramp  along  and 


130  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

the  first  trick  you  try,  down  you'll  go  like  that 
horse  of  yours.  We  always  fetch  something 
when  we  shoot,  and  now  that  your  animal  is 
dead,  we'll  make  sure  of  not  missing  you." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  131 


CHAPTER  X. 


ON    GUARD. 


I  need  not  tell  you  that  Jack  Marlton  was  a 
hundred  times  more  anxious  to  serve  General 
Washington  than  the  latter  was  to  have  his 
services.  He  was  so  full  of  the  exploit  of 
assisting  as  one  of  his  guides  on  the  march  to 
Trenton,  that  hardly  anything  else  entered  his 
thoughts  throughout  the  day.  Once,  when  his 
mother  referred  to  the  weather  as  being  too 
severe  for  him  to  venture  out,  he  protested  so 
vehemently  that  she  made  haste  to  declare  she 
was  not  in  earnest. 

The  father  was  thoughtful  and  much  pre- 
occupied. He  left  the  house  several  times  in 
the  course  of  the  day,  and  not  only  walked  down 
to  the  river,  but  went  up  the  shore  a  long  way.. 
When  Jack,  after  a  hasty  supper,  expressed  the 


132  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

thought  that  it  was  time  for  him  to  be  off,  the 
parent  said : 

"  You  were  not  to  go  to  camp  until  night ;  it 
is  as  bad  to  be  too  early  as  too  late ;  I'll  tell 
you  when  to  start." 

But  when  night  closed  in,  the  father  aston- 
ished his  son  by  taking  him  alone  into  the  front 
room,  where  there  was  no  fire.  The  air  and 
manner  of  the  parent  could  not  have  been 
graver  and  he  was  kinder  than  usual  in  his 
words. 

"  Jack,"  said  he,  "  I  shall  not  let  you  act  as  a 
guide  to  General  Washington  to-night. 

"  O  father !  "  and  the  lad  broke  into  tears. 

"  Wait  till  you  hear  me  through,"  the  captain 
hastened  to  add ;  "  you  and  I  are  as  good  friends 
to  General  Washington  as  he  has  in  the  whole 
world." 

"  I  would  die  for  him." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it,  and  so  would  I ;  he  engaged 
you  as  a  guide,  not  because  he  needs  you,  for 
he  has  hired  all  he  wants,  but  because  he  saw  it 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  133 

would  please  us  both.  You  would  be  glad  to 
serve  hini  in  any  way  possible  ?  " 

"Surely  I  would." 

"  One  moment ;  I  have  found  the  means  by 
which  you  can  do  him  a  real  service  and  one 
that  may  help  a  great  deal  in  winning  the 
battle  that  will  be  fought  in  a  few  hours." 

Jack  stared  wonderingly  at  his  parent  at  a 
loss  to  know  what  he  meant. 

"  The  real  danger  that  threatens  General 
Washington's  plans  is  not  from  losing  his  way 
on  the  march  to  Trenton,  but  in  Colonel  Rail 
being  warned,  and  the  danger  of  that  is  from 
Sartos  Wagstaff  and  his  son  Aaron." 

"  But  they  have  no  chance  ;  there's  a  half- 
dozen  soldiers  guarding  their  house  ;  if  either 
of  them  attempts  to  get  out  and  run  off  he  will 
be  shot." 

"  That  is  well  enough  while  daylight  lasts, 
but  despite  the  guards,  one  of  them  will  find 
some  way  of  doing  it  to-night  and  contrive  to 
get  word  to  Kail.     He  may  not  cross  the  river 


134  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

■ — I  don't  see  how  he  can  do  it  when  it  is  so  full 
of  ice — but  he  will  manage  to  give  the  guard 
the  slip.  I  hate  to  say  it,  and  I  wouldn't  say  it 
to  any  one  but  you,  but  General  Washington 
made  a  mistake  to-day." 

"How?" 

"  In  not  arresting  both  of  the  Wagstaffs  and 
keeping  them  in  custody  till  morning.  He 
could  have  done  it  just  as  well  as  not  ;  General 
Greene  advised  it,  and  I  wanted  to  say  the 
same  thing,  but  my  opinion  wasn't  asked." 

The  next  question  of  the  son  was  a  natural 
one. 

"  If  those  soldiers  with  their  guns  can't  keep 
Aaron  from  slipping  away,  how  shall  I  be  able 
to  do  it,  father  ?  " 

"  There's  the  point.  I  have  been  thinking  a 
good  deal  of  that.  My  first  plan  was  to  let  you 
act  as  guide,  while  I  watched  or  rather  helped 
the  guard  to  watch,  but  neither  they  nor  I  have 
the  advantage  that  you  have.  Before  the  war 
came  and  when  such  a  thing  as  a  Tory  was  not 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  135 

heard  of,  you  used  to  spend  days  in  playing 
with  Aaron  at  his  home,  just  as  he  did  here.  I 
have  no  doubt  you  know  all  the  ins  and  outs  of 
his  house,  which  is  a  good  deal  bigger  than 
ours,  as  well  as  he  does." 

"I  do  ;  I  know  every  inch  from  garret  to 
cellar." 

"  I  was  sure  of  that ;  there  are  places  not  sus- 
pected by  the  soldiers,  where  Aaron  could  slip 
out  in  the  darkness  and  make  off,  and  they  never 
dream  of  it,  but  you  would  be  sure  to  detect 
him.  Now,  if  you  want  to  do  General  Wash- 
ington a  real  service,  make  your  way  down  to 
Aaron's  home  and  see  that  he  does  not  leave  it 
to-night." 

By  this  time  Jack  was  interested  in  the  new 
scheme,  though  it  cost  him  a  pang  to  give  up 
the  one  upon  which  he  had  set  his  heart. 

"  What  will  General  Washington  think  when 
he  finds  I  have  backed  out  ? " 

"  That  you  have  been  scared,11  was  the  blunt 
reply. 


136  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  I  will  go  down  and  explain  it  to  him  before 
he  marches  up  the  river." 

"  No  ;  don't  you  see  that  what  you  are  going 
to  do  looks  as  if  the  guard  would  fail  of  their 
duty  ?  The  General  might  resent  that,  because 
it  was  by  his  orders  they  were  placed  there. 
You  will  have  to  let  him  believe  until  to-mor- 
row that  you  have  shirked  your  duty.  When 
he  learns  what  you  have  done  and  that  it  was 
by  my  order,  he  will  praise  instead  of  condemn 
you.  Do  as  I  tell  you,  and,  instead  of  having 
to  wait  until  you  are  seventeen  years  old  be- 
fore enlisting,  I  will  allow  you  to  do  so  on  the 
first  of  the  coming  month,  which  is  only  a  week 
distant." 

The  heart  of  Jack  bounded  with  delight. 
TJiis  was  the  kind  of  reward  he  craved  above 
everything  else. 

"  You  are  right,  father  !  "  he  exclaimed  ;  "  I 
will  do  as  you  wish." 

The  parent  added  a  few  suggestions. 

"  Of  course  when  you  go  down  to  WagstafFs 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  137 

you  must  see  the  sergeant  and  the  others  and 
explain  why  you  are  there." 

"  Won't  they  object  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it ;  no  soldier  objects  when 
some  one  volunteers  to  help  him  at  his  work. 
While  they  watch  the  doors  and  windows,  you 
must  move  about  the  house  in  the  darkness,  on 
the  alert  for  some  unsuspected  opening  by 
which  Aaron  will  slip  out  :  I  feel  in  my  bones 
that  he  will  attempt  something  of  the  kind 
to-night." 

While  there  was  every  reason  to  believe  the 
fears  of  the  veteran  well  founded,  it  is  strange 
that  neither  he  nor  his  son  thought  of  a  simple 
precaution  which  either  could  have  taken,  and 
which  would  have  rendered  all  this  extraor- 
dinary care  unnecessary. 

Hardly  had  the  long  column  of  soldiers 
marched  past  in  the  road,  when  Jack  Marlton, 
warmly  clad  and  muffled,  passed  out  of  the  door 
of  his  home. 

"  Hadn't  1  better  take  my  gun  with  me  ?  "  he 


138  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

asked,  halting  for  a  moment  and  turning  to  his 
father. 

"  No ;  if  there's  any  shooting  to  do  let  the 
soldiers  do  it." 

Veteran  as  he  was,  Captain  Marlton  shuddered 
at  the  thought  of  one  of  the  boys  firing  a  shot 
at  the  other.  It  should  be  added,  that  nothing 
would  have  induced  his  son  to  proceed  to  such 
extremity  with  his  former  pi  ay  mate.  The  taking 
of  his  weapon  seemed  only  a  natural  precaution 
to  him. 

His  mother  kissed  him  good-by,  and  he 
hurried  down  the  road,  his  heart  light,  not 
only  because  he  knew  he  was  doing  an  im- 
portant service  for  General  Washington,  but 
because  of  the  promise  of  his  father  that 
in  a  few  days  he  would  be  permitted  to 
offer  himself  as  a  recruit  in  the  Continental 
army. 

Jack  broke  into  his  loping  trot,  which  he  could 
maintain  a  long  time  without  fatigue,  and  soon 
arrived  o|3posite  the  large  house  and  outbuildings 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  139 

with  which  it  may  be  said  he  was  as  familiar  as 
the  occupants  themselves. 

In  the  sleet  and  piercing  cold,  he  paused  for 
a  moment  and  peered  around  in  the  gloom.  He 
could  see  no  one,  nor  was  there  a  sign  of  a  light 
in  any  of  the  rooms.  Naturally  perhaps  this  fact 
strengthened  his  belief  that  the  immates  were 
plotting  something  by  which  to  outwit  the 
watchers. 

Drawing  open  the  gate,  he  started  along  the 
graveled  walk,  but  had  taken  only  two  or  three 
steps,  when  a  sharp  command  rang  out : 

"  Halt !     "Who  goes  there  ?  " 

"  A  friend." 

"  Advance  friend,  and  give  the  countersign." 

"  I  haven't  it,  but  I'm  a  friend,"  replied  Jack, 
standing  motionless.  A  man  stepped  down 
from  the  porch,  and  with  musket  presented  ap- 
proached. It  proved  to  be  the  sergeant  himself. 
Seeing  that  it  was  a  boy  instead  of  a  man  who 
confronted  him,  the  officer  first  inquired  whether 
he  had  any   companions.     Being  assured  that 


140-  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

the  youth  was  alone,  he  was  ordered  to  tell  his 
name  and  business. 

Jack  did  so  as  clearly  as  he  could.  The 
soldier  was  interested.  He  had  never  heard  of 
Jack  Marlton,  and  had  to  form  his  own  conclu- 
sion as  to  the  truthfulness  of  the  story  told  him. 
But  he  was  an  intelligent  man  and  came  to  the 
belief  that  he  had  an  honest  lad  before  him  who 
was  likely  to  prove  useful. 

"  They're  a  bad  lot,"  remarked  the  sergeant, 
referring  to  the  Wagstaff  family  ;  "  I  don't  see 
how  they  can  dodge  out  without  our  knowing 
it,  but  there  may  be  danger  of  their  doing  so. 
"We  are  glad,  therefore,  to  have  your  help,  Jack  ; 
but  in  order  to  prevent  any  awkward  mistake, 
I  will  introduce  you  to  the  men." 

He  took  the  lad  forward  to  where  one  of  the 
guard  was  standing  on  the  front  porch,  explained 
who  the  boy  was  and  his  business,  and  then 
passed  to  the  rear  and  the  sides  where  the  others 
were  stationed  and  did  the  same. 

"  He  will  have  to  keep  on  the  move  most  of 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  141 

the  time,"  added  the  sergeant,  "  and  you  will  be 
sure  not  to  mistake  him  for  any  one  belonging  to 
the  house.  The  countersign,  my  boy,  is  '  Gen- 
eral Sullivan.'  If  you  are  mistaken  in  the  dark 
and  challenged,  you  will  know  what  to  say0 
That's  all." 

An  understanding  having  been  reached,  the 
sergeant  returned  to  his  position  at  the  front  of 
the  building.  He  had  been  ordered  to  keep 
guard  until  daylight,  when  the  squad  was  to  with= 
draw,  passing  down  the  road  to  the  camp,  where 
a  force  had  been  left  by  Washington.  Since 
there  could  be  no  relief,  therefore,  through  the 
long,  bitterly  cold  night,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
duty  of  all  was  anything  but  of  a  pleasant 
nature. 

Thus  it  happened  that  within  a  brief  time 
after  Jack  Marlton's  arrival,  he  found  himself 
standing  among  the  shrubbery,  on  the  southern 
side  of  the  Wagstaffs'  dwelling,  with  no  one  in 
sight,  though  he  knew  that  armed  men  were 
stealthily  groping  about  near  at   hand.     He  re- 


142  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

fleeted  how  much  better  and  effective  it  would 
have  been,  had  the  soldiers  entered  the  house, 
and,  stationing  themselves  there,  confined  the 
three  prisoners  to  one  room,  mounting  guard  at 
the  door.  By  such  a  simple  course,  all 
possibility  of  escape  would  be  averted,  the  men 
themselves  would  be  comfortable  and  could 
relieve  one  another  at  the  task.  But  it  was  idle 
to  speculate  over  that,  since  their  orders  pre- 
scribed a  different  duty  and  they  were  simply 
fulfilling  it. 

Now,  nothing  was  plainer  to  Jack  Marlton 
than  that  Aaron  Wagstaff  would  make  no 
attempt  to  leave  his  home  by  the  front  or 
rear  door,  for,  to  do  that,  insured  his  detec- 
tion before  he  could  take  more  than  a  single 
step.  The  old  structure  had  windows  on 
every  side  and  of  course  all  were  under  sur- 
veillance. What  chance,  therefore,  was  there 
of  one  of  the  inmates  eluding  the  guards  ? 
Of  course  the  storm  and  darkness  were 
favorable,  but   by   keeping    close    to  the  walls 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  143 

of    the  house  this    advantage  would    be    OVer- 


come. 


Naturally  Jack  had  been  speculating  with 
himself  as  to  what  was  the  most  likely  course 
of  the  young  Tory. 

"  Now,  if  I  were  in  his  place,'1  he  reflected, 
"  I  would  drop  from  one  of  those  windows  of 
the  second  story,  when  I  thought  no  one  was  on 
watch,  and  then  wait  till  the  coast  was  clear 
and  sneak  off,  or  I  would  come  up  out  of  the 
cellar  window  ;  I  think  I  would  try  that"  he 
added,  referring  to  the  last-named  recourse. 

The  window  he  had  in  mind  was  at  one  end 
of  the  building,  the  upper  part  being  on  a  level 
with  the  ground.  It  was  placed  thus  to  obtain 
light  and  ventilation,  which,  was  secured  by  the 
usual  excavation  in  the  ground  in  front.  It  is 
not  probable  that  any  one  of  the  guard  noticed 
this  inviting  avenue  of  flight,  but  Jack  thought 
of  it  while  coming  up  the  road. 

He  knew  it  was  the  only  window  connected 
with  the   cellar,  and  therefore  was   the   single 


144:  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

subterranean    opening    through    which    Aaron 

might  be  tempted  to  leave  the  house,  though  it 

was  possible  he  would  try  one   of  the  upper 



windows.     The  profound  darkness  and  gloom 

of  the  interior  left  no  doubt  that  the  family 
were  stealthily  watching  their  chances  and  keep- 
ing themselves  out  of  sight. 

Jack  halted  beside  the  cellar  window  and 
stood  for  some  minutes  intently  listening. 
From  the  river  came  the  sound  of  splashing 
water,  the  grinding  of  gigantic  masses  of  ice 
against  one  another  and  their  grating  along  the 
shore  as  they  swung  past.  The  icy  wind  moaned 
through  the  leafless  branches  and  howled  around 
the  corners  of  the  old  building,  while  the  needle- 
like sleet  pattered  against  the  exposed  window- 
panes  and  shutters.  No  more  dismal  night  can 
be  conceived. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  145 


CHAPTER  XI. 


A     CLEVE  R      TRICK 


In  the  olden  times  many  of  the  dwellings  of 
the  well-to-do  people  had  wooden  shutters  on 
the  outside  of  all  the  windows  on  the  lower 
floors,  while  those  above  were  provided  with 
none.  I  have  seen  panes  that  have  stood  the 
beating  of  storms  for  sixty  years  without  a  frac- 
ture. All  were  thin  and  curved  inward,  but 
among  the  whole  number  on  one  side  of  the 
house  not  a  single  flaw  was  observable. 

Now,  as  Jack  Marlton  reasoned,  Aaron  Wag- 
staff  would  not  attempt  to  leave  the  building 
by  one  of  the  lower  windows,  since  he  would 
have  to  push  open  a  pair  of  shutters  to  clear  the 
way  for  him,  and  that  was  certain  of  detection ; 
but  he  could  readily  raise  an  upper  sash   and 

drop  to  the  ground.     The  distance  was  so  slight 
10 


146  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

that  he  would  hardly  be  jarred.  Jack  recalled 
that  each  of  them  had  often  done  the  same 
thing  when  chasing  each  other  through  the 
building. 

The  theory  of  the  youth  was  that  the  young 
Tory  would  first  decide  for  himself  which  side 
of  the  house  was  least  guarded,  and  then  quietly 
leap  to  the  earth,  provided  he  did  not  conclude 
to  use  the  cellar  window. 

One  thing  pleased  the  lad  ;  in  walking  cau- 
tiously around  the  building,  he  met  a  guard 
every  few  minutes.  They  were  alert  to  their 
duty,  and  it  seemed  impossible  for  any  one  to 
elude  them.  The  sergeant  was  still  at  the  front 
and  finally  Jack  took  his  station  at  a  corner  of 
the  dwelling.  On  his  right,  ten  feet  distant, 
was  the  cellar  window,  which  of  course  was  in- 
visible in  the  darkness,  while  the  whole  side  of 
the  rear  was  on  his  right. 

"  I  don't  see  how  he  can  make  it,"  muttered 
Jack,  shivering  despite  his  thick  clothing  and 
bending  his  head    against    the  millions  of  icy 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  147 

javelins  that  were  hurtling  through  the  air  ;  "  he 
would  like  to  help  Colonel  Kail  and " 

He  started,  for  surely  through  the  freezing 
storm  he  heard  a  sound  that  was  different  from 
the  craunching  ice  on  the  Delaware  or  the  howl- 
ing gale  around  him.  He  could  not  tell  its  pre- 
cise nature,  but  it  suggested  a  dull,  subdued 
throb.     Instantly  he  thought  of  the  window. 

"  Some  one  is  at  work  there,"  he  thought, 
stepping  cautiously  thither,  though  in  the  tem- 
pest there  was  no  need  of  such  care,  but  before 
he  reached  the  place,  he  checked  himself,  stopped 
by  the  reflection  that  nothing  occurring  at  the 
window  could  cause  the  sound  that  had  dis- 
turbed him,  and  which  was  of  such  a  nature  t bat- 
it  was  impossible  for  him  to  locate  it. 

He  was  retracing  his  steps,  when  the  darkness 
on  his  left^that  is,  against  the  side  of  the  house 
from  which  he  was  separated  only  by  a  step  or 
two — took  a  peculiar  appearance.  A  part  of  it 
suggested  a  form  of  something. 

"  What  the  mischief  causes  that  ?  "  the  puzzled 


148  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

youth  asked  himself,  as  he  reached  out  his  hand 
to  investigate. 

And  then  the  section  of  gloom  assumed  still 
more  definite  form,  for  a  figure  suddenly  bounded 
out  forward,  and  dashed  on  a  dead  run  across 
the  lawn,  not  toward  the  highway  but  the  fields 
that  stretched  along  the  side  of  it.  He  ran 
rapidly  and  burst  into  momentary  view  so 
abruptly  that  Jack  Marlton  was  dazed.  But 
only  for  an  instant,  when  he  shouted  : 

"  Here  he  goes  !     Quick  or  he'll  get  away  ! " 

But  one  of  the  guards  had  detected  the  fu- 
gitive, and,  as  Jack  Marlton  leaped  forward,  the 
soldier  darted  across  the  path  in  front  of  him, 
shouting : 

"  Halt  or  I'll  fire  ! " 

The  one  fleeing,  ran  the  harder.  The  guard 
was  in  no  mood  for  trifling.  He  stopped, 
brought  his  musket  to  a  level,  and  the  gloom 
was  lit  up  by  a  flash,  accompanied  by  a  report 
that  sounded  weak  and  muffled  in  the  gale. 

"  I  dropped  him  !  "  was  the  gratified  exclama- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  149 

tion  of  the  soldier,  running  eagerly  forward  and 
bending  over  the  prostrate  figure.  The  report 
brought  the  sergeant  and  rest  of  the  guard  to 
the  spot.  Jack  was  terrified  at  the  thought  of 
the  death  that  had  overtaken  his  former  friend 
and  stood  back,  silent  and  awed. 

When  the  sergeant  took  hold  of  the  arm  of 
the  fellow,  he  groaned,  but  was  able  to  help 
himself  upon  being  partly  lifted  to  his  feet. 
Then  they  started  for  the  house  walking  slowly, 
the  prisoner  limping  and  apparently  suffering 
great  pain. 

While  no  member  of  the  guard  felt  any  spe- 
cial pity  for  the  wounded  Tory,  they  were  too 
manly  to  exult  over  his  mishap.  No  one  spoke, 
as  the  group  moved  haltingly  across  the  yard  to 
the  front  of  the  house,  a  man  on  each  side  of 
the  prisoner  and  bearing  almost  his  entire 
weight. 

The  sergeant  himself  turned  the  knob  of  the 
door,  which  swung  freely  inward  and  led  the 
way,    followed    by  the    little    group,  with  the 


150  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

white-faced  Jack  Marlton  at  the  rear.  As  the 
door  was  opened,  a  lamp  was  noticed,  on  a  table 
at  the  side  of  the  hall,  with  its  candle  burning. 
The  closed  shutters  prevented  any  of  its  rays 
reaching  the  outside. 

Suddenly  the  sergeant  uttered  an  exclamation, 
and,  catching  up  the  lantern,  held  it  in  front  of 
the  prisoner's  face. 

Then  all  perceived  that  it  was  not  Aaron 
Wagstaff  whom  they  had  captured,  but  his 
father.  Moreover,  the  man  who  had  been  groan- 
ing and  limping,  now  stood  erect  with  a  sardonic 
grin  on  his  countenance. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "  I  have  the  pleasure 
of  informing  you  that  the  bullet  fired  at  me  may 
have  passed  quite  close,  but  it  did  not  touch  me. 
I  am  ready  to  listen  to  your  congratulations  on 
my  providential  escape." 

The  sergeant's  congratulations  took  the  form 
of  a  sturdy  oath. 

"  Where's  your  son  ? " 

"  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  tell  you  precisely. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  151 

but  probably  he  is  half  way  to  Trenton  by  this 
time,  and  is  certain  soon  to  give  Colonel  Rail 
information  that  Washington  and  his  rebels  are 
on  their  way  to  surprise  him." 

"  We  have  been  tricked  and  have  played  the 
fool ! "  exclaimed  the  enraged  sergeant,  hurry- 
ing through  the  front  door  ;  "  scatter  every  one 
of  you  and  shoot  him  on  sight." 

It  was  a  clever  artifice — and  it  had  been  car- 
ried out  with  skill.  Before  the  elder  Wagstaff 
spoke,  Jack  Marlton  saw  through  the  whole 
thing.  The  father  had  dropped  from  one  of 
the  upper  windows,  intending,  while  seeming  to 
flee,  to  allow  himself  to  be  seen  and  recaptured. 
To  give  realism  to  the  trick,  he  had  run  more 
risk  than  probably  he  dreamed  of  when  he  drew 
the  fire  of  one  of  the  guards. 

None  of  the  men  knew  the  direction  followed 
by  the  real  fugitive.  The  whole  six  scattered, 
taking  different  routes,  all  so  enraged  that  they 
were  ready  to  fire  the  instant  they  caught  sight 
of  the  fellow,  and  to  hail  him  afterwards. 


152  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

But  Jack  Marlton  knew  whether  he  had  gone, 
and  the  bitterness  of  his  chagrin  was  intensified 
by  the  knowledge  of  the  almost  criminal  forget- 
fulness  that  had  left  the  way  open  for  the  Tory. 
His  small  boat  had  been  lying  on  the  bank, 
pulled  up  far  enough  to  be  out  of  the  way  of 
the  masses  of  ice.  There  it  had  lain  for  several 
days,  when  nothing  would  have  been  easier  than 
to  take  possession  of  it.  Even  if  that  were  not 
done,  one  of  the  guards  could  have  stationed 
himself  near  and  nabbed  the  fellow  when  he 
came  in  sight. 

But  this  simple  precaution  had  not  occurred 
to  Captain  Marlton,  to  his  son  nor  to  the  sergeant. 
It  was  a  woful  oversight  but  the  mischief  had 
been  done. 

Jack's  weak  hope  as  he  dashed  down  the  river 
bank  was  that  Aaron  Wagstaff  had  not  the 
pluck  to  venture  upon  the  Delaware,  when  it 
was  gorged  with  ice,  but  to  his  dismay  as  he 
reached  the  side  of  the  stream  he  saw  the  boat 


gone. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  153 

"  Heavens  !  "  was  the  dismayed  exclamation  ; 
"  lie  is  on  the  river  !  " 

The  last  shadow  of  hope  vanished  when,  from 
the  stormy  darkness,  came  back  the  tantalizing 
shout : 

"  Well,  Jack,  you're  a  bigger  fool  than  I  took 
you  to  be ;  it's  a  pretty  rough  passage  but  I 
shall  make  it." 

Dimly  through  the  gloom,  Jack  caught  the 
outlines  of  his  enemy,  fighting  his  way  among 
the  huge  piles  of  grinding  ice.  In  his  exaspera- 
tion, the  young  patriot  would  have  made  good 
use  of  his  rifle  had  it  been  in  his  hands. 

The  sergeant  himself  dashed  panting  to  his 
side  the  next  moment. 

"  Didn't  I  hear  some  one  call  to  you  ? "  asked 
the  officer. 

"  Confound  it,  yes  !  He's  taken  to  his  boat 
and  is  on  the  river." 

"  Can't  we  follow  him  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  want  to  jump  on  the  pieces  of  ice 
and  swim   half   the  way,"    was  the    disgusted 


154  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

answer  of  the  youth ;  "  sergeant,  which  is   the 

bigger  fool,  you  or  I  ? " 

u  It's  a  toss  up,  but  by  thunder !  Washington 
twon't  punish  you,  and  he's  likely  to  order  us  all 
shot  for  to-night's  work.'* 

Jack  did  not  pause  to  hear  anything  more. 
A  new  resolution  came  to  him.  Turning  up 
the  bank  to  the  highway,  he  started  on  a  dead 
run  for  home.  The  distance  was  not  far  but  it 
never  seemed  so  long.  He  was  in  a  fever  of 
rage,  and  chagrin.  He  felt  he  ought  to  stop 
and  tell  his  father  of  the  frightful  mishap,  but 
he  dared  not  take  the  time.  Beside,  he  feared 
his  parent  would  veto  the  resolution  that  had 
crystallized  in  his  mind  before  he  dashed  from 
the  house  of  the  Tory. 

When  he  caught  the  glimmer  of  the  light 
from  the  dining-room  of  his  own  home,  he 
diverged  to  the  left  and  ran  diagonally  down 
the  river  bank  to  the  edge  of  the  water.  The 
storm  was  raging  more  furiously  than  ever,  but 
he  paid  no  heed  to  the  cutting  sleet   nor   the 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  155 

penetrating  cold  that  at  any  other  time  would 
have  chilled  him  to  the  bone.  His  frame  seemed 
to  be  on  fire,  for  he  felt  that  the  issue  of  the 
battle  of  Trenton  rested  on  his  shoulders.  Aye, 
it  might  be  that  the  independence  of  his  be- 
loved country  was  hanging  in  the  balance, 
and  all  depended  upon  Ms  success  or  fail- 
ure. 

Washington  and  his  two  thousand  four  hun- 
dred picked  troops  were  several  miles  up  the 
river,  fighting  their  way  through  the  tumbling 
ice  to  the  Jersey  shore.  That  they  would  get 
across  Jack  did  not  doubt,  but  suppose  the 
Hessian  commander  received  several  hours' 
warning  of  their  coming  ?  He  would  be  on  the 
defensive  and  the  battle  would  be  a  severe  one, 
with  the  probability  that  Washington  would  be 
defeated. 

If  Aaron  Wagstaff  succeeded  in  forcing  his 
way  through  the  ice  to  Trenton,  nothing  could 
prevent  his  reaching  Colonel  Rail  with  news  of 
his   danger.     The  young  Tory  had  overheard 


156  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

the  conversation  in  the  home  of  Captain  Marl- 
ton,  and  was  therefore  fully  informed.  Kail 
had  already  proved  himself  a  good  soldier  at 
White  Plains  and  Fort  Washington,  and  could  be 
counted  upon  to  offer  a  sturdy  and  skilful 
resistance. 

The  reader  may  have  suspected  the  nature 
of  Jack's  resolution,  which  was  to  cross  the  river 
in  his  boat  in  the  hope  of  reaching  the  other 
side  in  time  to  head  off  the  Tory.  He  longed 
to  have  his  rifle  with  him,  for  it  looked  as  if 
some  shooting  would  be  necessary  before  he  saw 
the  end  of  his  adventure,  but,  as  has  been  shown, 
he  did  not  hesitate  for  an  instant  with  any  idea 
of  entering  his  own  home,  the  main  reason 
being  his  fear  that  his  father  would  forbid  him 
to  make  the  rash  attempt. 

There  lay  his  boat,  pulled  up  on  the  shore 
just  as  Aaron  WagstafFs  had  been,  with  the 
two  oars  and  pole  lying  in  the  bottom.  The 
sail  had  been  carried  to  the  house  to  protect  it 
from  the  storm,  but  it  would  have  been  of  no 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  157 

use  that  night  :  everything  depended  on  the 
oars  and  pole. 

Seizing  the  craft  by  the  stern,  the  youth 
applied  all  his  strength,  his  body  inclining 
almost  horizontally.  Never  was  he  so  strong. 
The  hull  grated  over  the  pebbly  beach  and  the 
boat  slid  out  into  the  water.  AVith  a  second 
powerful  shove,  he  leaped  in  as  it  was  swinging 
clear,  caught  up  both  oars  and  braced  himself 
for  his  severe  w'ork. 

The  danger  began  with  the  first  moment. 
When  the  paddle  on  his  left  was  dipped  it  sank 
into  clear  water,  but  the  one  in  his  right  hand 
slid  over  the  top  of  a  cake  of  ice,  as  if  the  sur- 
face were  oiled.  No  resistance  being  offered, 
the  boat  described  a  half  circle,  and  the  next 
moment  the  obstructing  mass  banged  against  it 
with  a  shock  that  it  seemed  must  have  crushed 
in  the  side  as  if  it  were  an  egg-shell. 

But  the  craft  was  staunch,  and  in  an  instant 
Jack  regained  control  of  it.  The  reader  will 
perceive  the  danger  and  difficulty  by  which  he 


158  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

was  surrounded.  Had  he  stopped  striving  and 
floated  with  the  current,  there  would  have  been 
little  or  no  trouble,  for  the  progress  of  all 
would  have  been  substantially  the  same.  The 
cause  of  the  craunchins;  and  occasional  collision 
of  the  masses  of  ice  was  the  eddies  and  different 
currents  which  gave  an  erratic  movement  to 
them.  Now  and  then  this  was  so  marked  that 
a  vast  block  would  slide  upon  another,  as  if 
climbing  the  roof  of  a  house,  and  bear  it  out  of 
sight,  or  would  bump  against  it  with  a  violence 
that  sent  sprays  of  water  high  in  air. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  159 


CHAPTER  XII. 


A    DESPERATE    CHASE. 


Now,  when  it  is  remembered  that  Jack  Marl- 
ton  had  to  force  his  way  through  these  surging 
masses  of  ice,  it  will  be  seen  that  he  had  under- 
taken a  task  harder  for  him  than  that  of  the 
soldiers  who  were  fio-hting  the  current  several 
miles  further  up  the  Delaware. 

In  the  first  place,  the  Marblehead  boatmen 
were  powerful  and  skilful,  and  in  each  of  the 
large  boats  were  a  number  with  poles  who 
could  sheer  off  the  impinging  masses,  and,  even 
when  their  craft  were  struck,  as  was  often  the 
case,  they  were  staunch  enough  to  resist  the 
shock.  The  fact  that  every  man,  horse  and 
cannon    were    transported    safely    across    the 


160  THE  B0Y  PATRIOT. 

Delaware  is  proof  that  the  peril  was  not  so 
great  as  has  often  been  pictured. 

With  Jack  Marlton,  however,  it  was  different. 
The  strongest  vessels  that  venture  into  the 
polar  regions  are  always  in  danger  of  being 
"  nipped,"  that  is  to  say,  crushed  by  the  resist- 
less mountains  of  ice,  and  many  a  daring  navi- 
gator and  his  crew  have  been  sent  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  Arctic  Ocean  from  this  cause. 
Should  the  boat  of  the  youth  happen  to  be 
caught  between  two  of  the  masses,  weighing 
many  tons  apiece,  it  would  yield  like  pasteboard, 
and  his  situation  become  perilous  in  the  ex- 
treme. 

And  yet  there  was  no  escaping  the  risk,  and 
the  knowledge  that  such  was  the  fact  did  not 
hold  him  in  check  for  an  instant.  Having 
swung  his  craft  around,  he  bent  to  the  oars 
again,  and  succeeded  in  driving  it  perhaps 
twenty  feet,  straight  away  from  shore,  when 
both  paddles  struck  the  ice,  and  slid  so  swiftly 
over  the  surface,  that  the  failure  of  resistance 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  161 

on  the  part  of  the  blades  caused  him  to  fall 
over  on  his  back. 

He  was  up  in  an  instant,  and  peered  about  in 
the  gloom  trying  to  decide  the  best  thing  to  do. 
One  peculiarity  struck  him, — the  same  that  was 
afterward  mentioned  by  many  who  took  part 
in  the  eventful  incidents  of  that  night.  Snow 
and  sleet  filled  the  air,  and  the  wind  blew  a 
gale  from  nightfall  till  daybreak  the  next  morn- 
ing, and  yet  there  seemed  to  be  at  times  a  pecul- 
iar lightness  to  the  gloom.  It  would  appear 
that  the  darkness  ought  to  have  been  so  pro- 
found and  impenetrable  that  the  proverbial 
phrase  of  one  being  unable  to  see  his  hand 
before  his  face  should  have  applied. 

But  for  a  good  deal  of  the  time  it  was  other- 
wise. A  person  could  distinguish  for  twenty 
feet  and  sometimes  further.  Such  it  will  be 
remembered  was  the  case,  when  the  young  Tory 
called  to  Jack  from  his  boat  some  distance  out 
on  the  river,  and  when  our  young  hero  looked 

anxiously  about  him,  he  plainly  discerned  his 
ii 


162  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

surroundings.  At  times,  the  field  of  vision  was 
more  extended  than  at  others,  and  then  again, 
it  narrowed  to  a  yard  or  two. 

That  which  Jack  Marlton  detected  convinced 
him  that  his  oars  were  as  useless  as  his  sail 
would  have  been.  He,  therefore,  unshipped 
and  dropped  them  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat, 
and  catching  up  the  pole,  rose  to  his  feet.  It 
w^as  all-important  that  he  should  get  forward  as' 
fast  as  he  could,  and  at  considerable  risk  he 
jammed  the  iron-pointed  end  of  the  pole  into 
the  surface  of  a  cake  of  ice  and  pushed  with 
might  and  main. 

The  craft  shot  forward  under  the  propulsion, 
and  all  went  well  for  several  minutes,  when 
something  very  much  resembling  a  catastrophe 
occurred.  An  odd  commingling  of  the  grinding 
masses  drove  the  edge  of  one  enormous  piece 
directly  under  the  boat,  which  was  lifted  entirely 
clear  of  the  water,  and  the  next  instant  was 
riding  downward  as  buoyantly  as  if  resting  on 
the  deck  of  a  vessel. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  1G3 

"  This  will  never  do  ! "  exclaimed  the  startled 
Jack,  as  he  stepped  over  the  side  of  the  craft 
upon  the  cake  that  was  supporting  it,  and  began 
pushing  with  might  and  main. 

The  task  proved  harder  than  he  expected,  for 
his  feet  slipped  on  the  wet,  glassy  surface  and 
he  fell  two  or  three  times,  without  moving  the 
boat.  He  stopped  to  think  of  some  way  of 
getting  out  of  the  scrape.  A  minute  was 
sufficient  for  his  Yankee  ingenuity  to  assert 
itself. 

Jamming  the  lower  point  of  the  pole  into 
the  ice,  he  used  it  as  a  lever  and  pried  the  boat 
sideways.  It  readily  yielded,  and,  continuing 
the  effort,  he  soon  had  the  satisfaction  of  hear- 
ing it  drop  into  clear  water.  Pole  in  hand,  he 
stood  upright  within  the  craft  and  continued  his 
sturdy  battle. 

Carefully,  strongly,  courageously  and  coolly, 
he  pushed  his  perilous  work.  Now  and  then  he 
raised  his  eyes  from  his  immediate  surroundings 
and  peered  through  the  tempest  and  darkness. 


164  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

The  twinkling  lights  in  the  direction  of  Trenton 
showed  where  the  Hessians  were  making  merry 
on  this  joyous  Christmas.  As  yet  they  had  no 
suspicion  of  that  shadowy  host  that  were  fight- 
ing their  way  through  the  turbulent  river  and 
among  the  masses  of  ice  inspired  by  the  grim 
resolution  to  strike  a  blow  for  the  independence 
of  their  country  that  would  fire  anew  the  droop- 
ing spirits  of  their  countrymen. 

But  what  a  cruel  fate  if,  when  Washington 
and  his  fellow-patriots  arrived  in  town,  they 
should  find  the  mercenaries  prepared  and  eager 
to  be  attacked  !  The  thought  thrilled  Jack 
Marlton  with  new  determination,  and,  had  he 
known  that  by  giving  up  his  young  life  such  a 
catastrophe  could  be  averted,  he  would  not  have 
hesitated  for  an  instant.  Of  such  stuff  were  the 
boys  of  the  Revolution  made. 

Jack's  battle  with  the  ice  had  lasted  for  half 
an  hour,  and  he  found  himself  speculating  as  to 
how  far  he  had  progressed.  It  seemed  to  him 
he  must  be  most  of  the  way  across,  but  when  he 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  165 

looked  at  the  twinkling  points  in  advance,  tliey 
still  appeared  a  long  distance  off.  However, 
he  began  to  fear  that,  before  he  could  make 
land,  he  would  be  carried  considerably  below  the 
town. 

These  gloomy  thoughts  were  in  his  mind,  and 
he  was  still  striving  with  might  and  main,  when 
he  w^as  thrilled  by  the  sight  of  a  person  directly 
in  his  front  and  engaged  with  the  same  work 
with  himself.  That  is  to  say,  he  wras  standing 
up  in  his  boat,  pole  in  hand,  and  doing  his  best 
to  fight  his  way  among  the  masses  of  ice  to  the 
Jersey  shore. 

It  was  Aaron  Wagstaff  the  Tory  !  There 
could  be  no  doubt  of  it.  By  a  strange  provi- 
dence he  had  been  carried  down  stream  until  he 
and  his  pursuer  were  writhin  a  few  yards  of  each 
other.  Furthermore,  when  Jack  glanced  at  him 
lie  discerned  the  dim  outlines  of  the  shore  be- 
yond. They  were  nearer  land  than  he  had 
suspected. 

Ah,  if  he  only  had  his  rifle  with  him  !     He 


166  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

would  not  shoot  the  Tory,  but  he  would  cover 
him  with  the  weapon  and  compel  him  to  cease 
struggling  and  allow  the  boat  to  drift  down  the 
river  or  make  him  turn  about  and  work  his  way 
back  to  the  Pennsylvania  shore,  or  he  would 
hold  him  a  prisoner  until  both  landed. 

But  why  speculate  as  to  that,  when  neither 
of  them  had  any  kind  of  weapon  at  command  ? 

The  bad  feature  of  the  situation  was  that  the 
Tory  was  nearer  land  than  the  patriot,  and, 
since  Jack  saw  him,  it  was  reasonable  that  the 
other  saw  Jack.  In  the  natural  course  of  events, 
Wagstaff  would  make  shore  soon  enough  to 
gain  all  the  start  he  wished.  The  only  way  to 
prevent  it  was  by  working  more  vigorously  or 
at  least  more  skilfully. 

Jack  plied  the  pole  with  might  and  main,  but 
glancing  at  his  enemy  noted  that  he  was  doing 
the  same.  Plainly  he  realized  his  peril  and  was 
striving  his  utmost  to  escape  it. 

The  young  patriot's  eagerness  and  impet- 
uosity  worked    ill,  for  it  made    him  reckless. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  167 

He  knew  he  was  close  to  land,  and  the  moments 
were  of  measureless  value.  Instead  of  fighting 
off  the  blocks  of  ice,  and  picking  his  course,  he 
pushed  ahead  with  all  the  strength  he  could 
summon.  Besides,  the  Tory  was  so  near  the 
shore  that  not  a  moment  must  be  thrown  away. 
The  most  desperate  chances  had  to  be  taken 
without  hesitation. 

What  might  have  been  expected  came  speed- 
ily. There  was  a  shock  that  threw  Jack  on  his 
face,  with  the  pole  flying  overboard  beyond  his 
reach,  and  then  came  a  crushing,  ripping,  tear- 
ing sound  and  the  flying  of  splinters  about  him. 
The  boat  had  been  caught  between  two  im- 
mense ice  cakes,  under  the  erratic  control  of  in- 
terfering eddies,  and  the  craft  was  crushed  as 
utterly  and  completely  as  was  the  supply 
steamer  "  Proteous,"  when  on  its  way  to  the  far 
North  with  supplies  for  the  Greely  party. 

Only  the  activity  of  Jack  Marlton  saved  him 
from  death.  Quick  to  understand  his  peril,  he 
partly  rose  to  his  feet,  and  made  a  tremendous 


168  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

bound  from  the  wreck,  landing  on  one  of  the 
bergs  that  had  done  all  this  mischief.  He  was 
so  near  the  edge  of  his  support  that  it  instantly 
tipped  with  him,  and,  despite  a  desperate  effort, 
he  dropped  into  the  icy  water  whose  thrilling 
chill  caused  him  to  gasp  for  breath. 

But  not  once  did  he  lose  his  presence  of  mind. 
His  heavy  clothing  hampered  him,  and  despite 
his  skill  in  swimming,  he  might  have  been  in 
serious  danger,  but  for  the  blocks  of  ice  that 
were  all  around  him.  Grasping  one  of  these,  he 
was  fortunate  in  finding  it  buoyant  enough  to 
allow  him  to  climb  out  of  the  water  without 
drawing  the  edge  under. 

Glancing  in  the  direction  of  the  Tory,  he  saw 
that  he,  too,  was  in  trouble,  for  his  boat  had 
been  nipped  and  he  was  obliged  to  leap  out  ; 
but,  instead  of  falling  into  the  water  he  landed 
on  a  cake  of  ice,  sprang  to  another,  and  was 
thus  making  his  way  uncertainly  to  land. 

If  he  could  do  that,  what  was  to  prevent 
Jack  Marlton  imitating  him  ?     On  the  instant,  he 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  169 

made  a  bound  from  the  mass  on  which  he  had 
first  leaped,  but  the  support  was  so  light  that  it 
immediately  sank.  Before,  however,  it  could 
go  under,  Jack  had  jumped  to  a  second  which 
was  firmer,  then  to  a  third,  which  sank  so  sud- 
denly that  only  by  a  quick  leap  did  he  save 
himself.  Then  to  another  and  another,  rushing 
blindly,  as  may  be  said,  for,  having  started,  he 
had  to  keep  going,  even  if  a  space  of  clear  water 
opened  in  front. 

That  very  thing  happened.  He  was  taking 
long  leaps,  hurrying  from  one  support  to  an- 
other, and  accepting  the  chances  as  they  came, 
when  to  his  dismay,  he  perceived  more  than  a 
dozen  feet  of  unobstructed  water  across  his  path. 
He  glanced  up  and  down  the  river,  but  it  looked 
as  if  some  projection  of  land  turned  all  the  ice- 
masses  away  from  the  shore  and  no  support 
would  come  to  him.  Possibly  he  might  find 
what  he  needed  by  going  up  or  down  stream, 
but  there  was  no  time  to  do  so. 

For  all  the  while,  the  Tory  had  been  improv- 


170  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

ing  the  moments.  Fortune  seemed  to  be  with 
him,  and  he  went  from  one  support  to  another, 
as  if  each  had  been  specially  placed  for  his  ac- 
commodation. He  was  not  directly  in  front  of 
Jack  but  a  little  way  up-stream.  Nevertheless, 
he  was  called  upon  to  face  the  open  spot,  and  he 
did  so  unhesitatingly.  Jack  heard  the  splash  as 
he  leaped  into  it,  and  only  a  few  seconds  behind 
him,  the  young  patriot  did  the  same.  To  his 
vast  relief,  the  water  was  so  shallow  that  it  did 
not  rise  above  his  knees.  He  splashed  through 
on  a  run,  and  with  the  moisture  flying  from 
his  dripping  garments  at  last  stood  on  firm  land. 
The  Delaware  had  been  safely  crossed,  and 
he  had  emerged  directly  opposite  the  town,  but 
his  whole  interest  centered  in  Aaron  Wagstaff 
who  had  the  advantage  of  two  or  three  minutes 
and  was  making  the  best  possible  use  of  the 
opportunity.  He  started  on  a  run  up  the  slope 
with  the  young  patriot  perhaps  fifty  feet  behind, 
and  sure  to  overtake  him,  if  the  chase  lasted  a 
hundred  yards  further. 


JACK  HEARD  THE  SPLASH  AS  THE  YOUNG  TORY  LEAPED  INTO  THE  WATER.  AND 

quickly  the  young  patriot  did  the  SAME,— Page  170.  The  Boy  Patriot. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  171 

"  Stop  ! "  commanded  Jack,  "  before  I  shoot  !  " 

It  was  a  brave  bluff,  and  would  have  worked 
but  for  an  exasperating  interference.  Without 
looking  around,  the  Tory  slackened  his  pace, 
feeling  that  it  was  all  up,  when  from  a  point 
directly  in  front,  rang  out  a  sharp  command  : 

"  Halt !  who  comes  dere  ?  " 

It  was  a  Hessian  picket,  who  had  noted  the 
singular  race,  and  stood  with  leveled  musket 
in  front  of  the  two  youths  and  only  a  short 
distance  off. 

It  was  an  immeasurable  relief  to  the  Tory 
and  an  unspeakable  aggravation  to  his  pursuer, 
but  there  was  no  help  for  it  and  both  abruptly 
halted. 

The  German,  who  could  speak  English  quite 
well,  demanded  an  explanation  of  the  strange 
proceeding. 

"  He  was  running  away  and  I  was  trying  to 
catch  him,"  replied  Jack  Marl  ton. 

"  Vy  does  you  run  away  I "  asked  the  sentinel, 
turning  to  the  Tory. 


172  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  I  have  important  news  for  Colonel  Rail ;  I 
was  hurrying  to  take  it  to  him ;  this  rebel  knew 
it  and  tried  to  stop  me." 

"I  no  like  your  looks,"  said  the  Hessian, 
shaking  his  head,  and  looking  fixedly  at  Wag- 
staff  ;  "  I  likes  the  look  of  the  oder  much  better  ; 
I  believes  what  he  says ;  he  will  tell  whether 
what  you  say  be  true." 

Jack  Marlton  was  sorely  tempted  for  the  mo- 
ment. He  had  but  to  utter  a  falsehood  and  the 
great  service  he  craved  to  render  to  the  Father 
of  his  Country  would  be  rendered.  The  Hes- 
sian would  not  believe  the  Tory,  if  the  patriot 
contradicted  him. 

"  No,"  said  Jack  Marlton ;  "  he  tells  the  truth ; 
he  has  a  message  for  Colonel  Rail ;  I  tried  to 
prevent  his  delivering  it,  for  I  am  the  biggest 
rebel  for  a  boy  that  you  ever  saw  or  ever  will 


see." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  173 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


A    PRISONER. 


It  was  not  in  a  spirit  of  braggadocio  that  Jack 
Marlton  spoke  these  emphatic  words.  The 
utterance  of  a  falsehood  would  have  given  him 
a  vast  advantage,  as  the  case  appeared,  for  the 
Hessian  sentinel  left  no  doubt  on  that  point. 
He  liked  the  lad  and  had  declared  he  would 
believe  what  he  said,  even  though  it  was  con- 
tradicted by  his  companion. 

Jack  knew  when  he  made  his  reply  that  it 
insured  his  detention  as  a  prisoner  and,  woful 
to  say,  the  delivery  of  the  message  of  Aaron 
Wagstaff  to  Colonel  Rail,  with  the  probable 
overthrow  of  the  brilliant  campaign  of  General 
Washington  as  a  sequel.     The  consciousness  of 


174  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

this  fact  sent  the  bitterest  pang  of  his  life 
through  the  heart  of  the  youth ;  but  above  and 
beyond  that  was  the  thrilling,  approving  voice 
of  conscience  : 

"  You  have  spoken  the  truth  ;  leave  the  issue 
with  your  Maker." 

And  no  misery  could  dim  the  exquisite  pleas- 
ure which  was  a  part  of  that  knowledge.  He 
had  done  his  duty  and  higher  praise  cannot  be 
accorded  to  mortal.  He  was  content  to  accept 
his  fate. 

It  would  be  interesting  could  we  tell  the 
thoughts  that  entered  the  brain  of  the  stocky, 
powerfully-built  Hessian,  who  heard  the  youth's 
avowal.  While  that  is  impossible,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  he  was  favorably  impressed  by 
one  who  had  already  won  his  esteem.  But 
he  was  a  soldier,  who  knew  only  his  duty. 
With  hardly  a  moment's  hesitation,  he  called 
the  corporal  of  the  guard,  who  speedily 
made  his  appearance,  with  a  couple  of  other 
soldiers. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  175 

The  brief  conversation  that  followed  was  in 
German,  of  which  the  boys  caught  only  one 
word  that  they  understood.  That  was  the  name 
"Fritz,"  applied  to  the  sentinel.  He  explained 
to  the  corporal  the  circumstances,  and  that  of- 
ficer in  broken  English  gave  the  youths  to  under- 
stand they  were  prisoners.  They  were  ordered 
to  walk  up  the  bank  and  into  First  Street, 
which  now  bears  the  name  of  Front  and  runs 
parallel  to  the  Delaware. 

It  was  a  curious  procession,  with  the  youths 
in  front  of  the  corporal  and  two  soldiers  walk- 
ing immediately  behind  them.  Each  of  course 
carried  a  loaded  musket,  which  he  was  ready  to 
use  on  the  instant  that  either  sought  his  liberty 
by  a  sudden  dash.  There  might  have  been 
some  difficulty  in  firing  the  flint-locks,  whose 
powder  was  probably  wet  from  the  tempest  of 
driving  sleet,  that  had  been  raging  for  hours 
and  still  raged  with  an  diminished  fury,  but  the 
youths  were  too  prudent  to  take  any  risk. 
Rather  should  it  be  said  that  one  of  them  was 


176  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

too  prudent,  for  the  Tory  had  nothing  to  fear, 
since  he  was  among  friends  and  engaged  on 
business  in  their  behalf. 

The  clothing  of  both  was  saturated,  and  but 
for  the  movement  of  their  limbs  their  garments 
would  have  frozen  to  them.  They  were  chilled 
through,  but  the  varying  and  intense  emotions 
of  the  two  prevented  suffering  from  that 
cause. 

Jack  Marlton's  senses  were  never  keener. 
What  first  attracted  his  notice  was  that  while 
Fritz  the  sentinel  was  perfectly  sober,  the  cor- 
poral and  both  his  men  were  plainly  under  the 
influence  of  liquor.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  it  was  Christmas,  and  the  Hessians  were 
having  an  old-time  jollification  in  Trenton  on 
that  historical  occasion. 

The  corporal  had  fair  control  of  himself  and 
was  able  to  walk  steadily,  but  one  of  the  sol- 
diers lurched  so  much  that  he  brought  a  sharp 
reproof  from  his  officer,  who,  like  many  persons, 
when  slightly  under  the  power  of  intoxicants, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  177 

believed  lie  was  concealing  the  fact  by  his  own 
supernatural  sobriety. 

It  was  but  a  short  walk  up  the  bank  and 
into  First  Street,  when  the  party  turned  to  the 
eastward,  which  is  in  the  direction  of  the  present 
canal  and  railway  station.  There  were  dwell- 
ing-houses on  either  hand,  though  some  of  them 
were  separated  by  considerable  space.  Despite 
the  lateness  of  the  hour  and  the  driving  storm, 
lights  gleamed  from  the  windows  of  nearly 
every  house,  and  when  the  procession  came 
opposite  the  first  large  structure,  the  sound  of 
music  was  heard  within.  It  was  a  curious  mix- 
ture— that  of  a  violin,  a  hautboy  and  some 
kind  of  a  horn,  discoursing  the  liveliest  kind  of 
strains  for  the  roystering  dancers. 

It  may  be  worth  saying  at  this  point  that 
Colonel  Rail  was  almost  foolishly  fond  of  band 
music.  He  kept  the  members  playing  for 
hours  for  his  amusement  and  showed  as  much 
delight  over  the  harsh  rapid  notes  of  the  haut- 
boy as  a  child.     Old  residents  of  Trenton,  who 

12 


178  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

lived  there  when  lie  and  his  Hessians  occupied 
the  town,  used  to  tell  of  seeing  the  sturdy  Ger- 
man standing  perfectly  enraptured  with  the 
work  of  his  musicians,  who  blew  until  their 
cheeks  cracked,  probably  inwardly  cursing  their 
commander  who  could  never  get  too  much  of 
the  entertainment  that  was  an  oppressive  bore 
to  those  who  provided  it. 

Walking  side  by  side  through  the  dismal 
storm,  occasionally  lit  up  by  the  light  from  the 
dwellings  on  their  right  or  left,  Jack  Marlton 
and  Aaron  Wagstaff  could  have  touched  hands, 
had  they  wished,  but  they  did  nothing  of  the 
sort,  and  for  a  time  neither  spoke.  Then,  the 
chuckling  Tory  said : 

"  Well,  Jack,  you  have  learned  what  a  big  fool 
you  are,  haven't  you  ? " 

"  Yes,"  was  the  grim  response  of  the  young 
patriot  ;  "  we  were  all  a  lot  of  fools  to  give  you 
the  chance  to  slip  off  as  you  did  ;  it  would  have 
been  easy  enough  to  take  away  your  boat  if  we 
had  thought,  but  we  didn't." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  179 

"  I  watched  all  day  for  it  to  go,  and  thought 
when  I  hurried  down  to  the  river  that  I  wouldn't 
find  it  there,  but  it  was  waiting." 

"  Suppose  it  hadn't  been  there,"  continued 
Jack,  as  if  trying  to  add  to  his  own  bitterness 
of  memory,  "  what  would  you  have  done  ?  " 

u  Nothing ;  what  could  I  have  done  ?  " 

"  And  you  heard  all  that  General  Washing- 
ton said  to  us  last  night  ? " 

"  I  didn't  let  a  word  get  away  ;  I  was  going 
along  the  road,  when  he  rode  up  and  tied  his 
horse  in  front  of  your  gate  and  left  the  aides 
waiting  outside ;  I  thought  something  was  up, 
and  sneaked  round  to  the  side  window.  I'm 
afraid  of  only  one  thing." 

"  What's  that  ? "  eagerly  asked  Jack. 

"  That  General  Washington  won't  be  able  to 
get  along  without  having  you  to  guide  his  rag- 
amuffins over  the  roads  to  Trenton." 

And  the  Tory  chortled,  while  the  patriot  bit 
his  lips  with  chagrin  and  rage.  His  enemy 
mean  to  rub  it  in  without  mercy. 


180  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  Maybe  they  won't  let  you  see  Colonel  Rail." 

"  Don't  you  shake  hands  with  yourself  over 
that !  I  don't  care  if  they  don't ;  they'll  take 
the  old  man's  note  to  him.  He  wrote  it  all  out 
on  paper,  wrapped  it  about  with  a  piece  of  oil- 
skin and  I  have  it  snug  and  dry  in  my  inside 
pocket.  If  there's  any  delay  or  trouble  about 
my  seeing  Colonel  Kail  there  won't  be  any  about 
getting  the  old  man's  message  to  him,  and  then 
what  will  become  of  General  Washington  and 
the  rest  of  the  traitors  ?  " 

In  desperation  the  young  patriot  appealed  to 
the  better  nature  of  the  Tory. 

"  Aaron,  why  do  you  do  this  ?  You  will  be 
sorry  for  it  all  your  life." 

u  Sorry  for  it  !  "  he  exclaimed  ;  u  I  wouldn't 
miss  the  chance  for  ten  thousand  pounds  ;  I  can 
hardly  keep  from  jumping  for  joy,  even  if  I  am 
half  frozen  to  death." 

Jack  Marlton  could  not  restrain  his  indigna- 
tion. 

"  You  are  the  meanest,  most  cowardly  scoun- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  181 

drel  that  was  ever  allowed  to  draw  the  breath 
of  life—" 

At  that  moment,  Jack  Marlton  was  knocked 
almost  senseless  by  a  blow  on  the  back  of  his 
head.  The  drunken  soldier  brought  down  the 
butt  of  his  musket  with  a  force  that  sent  the 
youth  forward  several  paces  and  came  nigh 
throwing  him  on  his  face  in  the  icy,  muddy  street. 

"  Keep  your  mouth  shet !  "  explained  the  cor- 
poral, who  probably  ordered  the  youth  to  be 
struck  the  cruel  blow. 

Jack  was  so  infuriated  that  only  by  a  strong 
effort  could  he  restrain  himself  from  attacking; 
the  brute  like  a  tiger.  His  rage  was  intensified 
by  the  fact  that  the  Tory  at  his  side  had  not 
been  touched,  though  it  was  he  who  opened  the 
conversation.  It  was  evident  that  the  three  men 
had  learned  the  principles  of  their  prisoners. 

The  Tory  was  mean  enough  to  gloat  over  the 
outrage  his  companion  had  just  suffered,  and, 
knowing  that  he  himself  was  safe  from  harm, 
he  laughed : 


182  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"How  did  it  feel,  Jack!" 

It  Avas  running  great  risk  to  violate  on  the  in- 
stant, as  may  be  said,  the  order  of  the  brutal 
guard,  but  Jack  did  it,  lowering  his  voice  just 
enough  to  prevent  any  ears,  excepting  those  for 
which  they  were  intended,  from  hearing  his 
words  : 

"  If  you  open  your  mouth  again,  111  jump 
onto  you  and  beat  the  life  from  your  body 
before  any  one  can  stop  me  ! " 

The  conversation  ended. 

The  walk  along  First  Street  was  compara- 
tively brief.  On  the  right,  which  was  toward 
the  river,  the  party  moved  a  short  distance  over 
the  sleet  and  mud  and  paused  in  front  of  a  low, 
small  building  that  was  really  a  barn.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  single  room,  something  more  than 
twenty  feet  square,  with  a  mow  overhead,  partly 
filled  with  hay.  There  were  no  stalls  belo'w,  so 
that  it  had  been  used  simply  to  hold  fodder,  the 
animals  being  kept  in  another  building  a  short 
distance  away. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  183 

This  structure  was  one  of  the  guard-houses  of 
the  Hessians  during  their  occupancy  of  Trenton. 
The  floor  was  the  cold  bare  earth,  there  was  not 
a  spark  of  fire  in  the  building,  and  the  only 
thing  suggesting  a  bed  or  couch  was  the  hay 
which  some  kind  hand  had  flung  down  from 
the  loft  overhead. 

From  the  rafters  hung  four  lanterns,  whose 
candles  dimly  lit  up  the  gloomy  interior. 
There  was  but  a  single  door,  and  one  of  the 
lights  was  suspended  over  this,  while  a  guard 
stood  with  loaded  musket  on  the  inside,  and  an- 
other in  the  storm  outside.  It  was  the  latter 
who  received  the  prisoner  Jack  Marlton,  and, 
thrusting  the  sharp  point  of  his  bayonet  against 
his  hip,  said : 

"Indere!     Go!" 

Needless  to  say,  Jack  did  not  delay  in  obey- 
ing. He  took  several  steps,  and  then  paused 
and  looked  around  to  see  whether  his  Tory 
companion  would  join  him.  He  did  not. 
Through  the  driving  storm  Jack  heard  the  mux- 


184  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

nmr  of  voices,  but'  no  Aaron  Wagstaff*  put  in 
his  appearance.  Why  should  he  be  held  a  pris- 
oner, when  clearly  a  friend  ? 

"  Within  half  an  hour,"  reflected  Jack 
Marlton  with  anguish,  "  Colonel  Rail  will  re- 
ceive that  message.  God  help  General  Wash- 
ington ! " 

His  prayer  was  really  for  his  country,  but  to 
him,  that  and  Washington  wrere  one  and  the 
same,  and  who  can  question  the  correctness  of 
his  view  ? 

Convinced  that  it  was  intended  he  should 
occupy  this  prison  indefinitely,  the  wretched 
Jack  braced  himself  with  the  grim  heroism  that 
he  had  inherited  from  his  father  and  which, 
therefore,  was  a  part  of  his  nature. 

He  looked  up  at  the  lanterns,  the  mow,  and 
the  rafters,  dimly  outlined  in  the  gloom  over- 
head. Then  he  surveyed  the  hay  scattered  over 
the  icy  ground.  Here  and  there  a  form  was 
discerned.  There  were  four  in  all  lying  doubled 
up  and  as  motionless   as   if   they  were   dead. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  1S5 

Each  had  a  blanket  drawn  around  him,  and  was 
so  covered  with  that  and  the  protecting  hay  that 
barely  more  than  the  outlines  of  his  form  could 
be  distinguished,  though  the  sound  of  heavy 
breathing  showed  all  were  sleeping  soundly. 
Doubtless  they  were  soldiers  who  had  been 
celebrating  the  day  too  heavily  so  they  had 
been  tumbled  into  the  guard-house  to  remain 
until  they  sobered  up. 

The  door  was  closed,  and  with  only  a  glance 
at  it,  Jack  walked  over  the  hay  to  the  opposite 
side  of  the  cheerless  room  and  sat  down  with  his 
back  against  the  heavy  boards.  Two  causes  led 
him  to  do  this.  The  first  was  that  it  located  him 
as  remotely  as  possible  from  the  drunken  sleepers, 
and  the  other  was  that  it  placed  him  directly 
beneath  the  single  window  with  which  the 
lower  part  of  the  barn  was  provided.  The  sash 
that  had  originally  been  there  had  been  smashed, 
and  the  opening  was  crossed  by  bars  of  iron, 
which  of  course  were  no  protection  against  the 
wet  or  cold. 


186  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

It  may  seem  to  have  been  imprudent  on  the 
part  of  Jack  Marl  ton,  but,  by  sitting  close  under 
the  window,  he  escaped  the  arctic  wind  and 
sleet  that  drove  through,  for  both  were  carried 
so  far  over  his  head  that  he  felt  none  of  their 
effects.  While  every  portion  of  the  dismal 
structure  was  cold,  cheerless  and  wof  ully  uncom- 
fortable, he  had  chosen  the  most  favorable  spot, 
if  any  spot  at  all  could  be  considered  favorable. 

Besides,  an  odd  question  took  vague  form  in 
his  mind — 

"  Perhaps  that  window  may  prove  a  friend  to 


me." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  187 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

FRITZ. 

It  would  be  hard  to  picture  a  more  dismal, 
cheerless  and  wretched  situation  than  that  of 
Jack  Marlton. 

He  sat  down  in  the  hay  of  the  gloomy  barn 
and  drew  a  quantity  of  it  about  his  body. 
There  was  precious  little  warmth  in  it,  and  his 
teeth  chattered  with  the  cold.  Be  it  remembered 
that  it  was  on  that  eventful  night  that  two  of 
Washington's  hardy  soldiers  were  frozen  to 
death  while  making  their  march  through  the 
sleet  and  driving  tempest  to  Trenton,  and  many 
others  suffered  severely  from  the  fearful  tem- 
perature. 

Jack's  teeth  rattled  like  castanets  ;  there  was 
no  way  of  drying  his  saturated  clothing,  which 


188  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

crackled  with  ice  whenever  he  moved  his  limbs 
or  body.  But  for  his  youthful  vigor  he  must 
have  succumbed,  as  did  many  another  patriot 
on  the  eve  of  the  battle  of  Trenton. 

But  wretched  as  he  was  in  body,  he  suffered 
mentally  to  a  more  intense  degree.  Perhaps  it 
was  merciful  that  such  was  the  fact,  for  it 
imparted  a  feverish  glow  to  his  frame  and  there- 
by helped  to  fight  off  the  insidious  approach  of 
that  drowsiness  and  stupor  which  is  invariably 
fatal  to  any  one  exposed  to  extreme  cold. 

The  most  exasperating  reflection  that  can 
torment  a  person  is  that  his  despairing  situation 
is  the  result  of  his  own  short-sightedness.  Jack 
recalled  that  he  had  noticed  the  boat  of  Aaron 
Wagstaff  lying  against  the  bank,  on  passing  the 
house  of  the  Tory  earlier  in  the  day,  and  when 
he  went  to  help  watch  the  traitors  he  knew  it 
was  still  there,  and  yet  it  never  occurred  to  him 
that  it  was  likely  to  serve  the  purpose  to  which 
it  was  applied. 

He  felt  there  was  some  excuse  for  his  father, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  189 

and,  perhaps  to  a  less  degree,  for  the  guard  that 
had  been  placed  around  the  house  by  order  of 
General  Washington,  for  they  were  strangers  in 
the  neighborhood  and  were  not  likely  to  think 
of  the  craft ;  but  there  was  none  for  Jack  Marl- 
ton  himself. 

He  had  been  nerved  to  a  state  of  exaltation 
by  the  belief  that  it  was  to  be  his  happy  lot  to 
render  the  Father  of  his  Country  a  great  service, 
and  he  had  utterly  failed  to  accomplish  anything* 
He  had  come  within  a  hair's  breadth  of  checking 
the  Tory  in  his  daring  night  across  the  Delaware, 
but  that,  too,  miscarried,  and  here  he  was  a 
prisoner  of  the  Hessians. 

Why  think  further  about  it  ?  And  yet  he 
could  not  help  thinking  of  it.  The  Tory  had 
been  permitted  to  go  free,  and  no  doubt  by  that 
time  Colonel  Rail  was  reading  or  had  already 
read  the  momentous  note  of  Saros  Wagstaff, 
and  was  making  disposition  of  his  troops  to 
baffle  the  exultant  patriots,  hurrying  from  the 
Delaware  to  attack  them  in  town. 


190  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Jack  listened  for  sounds  that  would  indicate 
such  preparation.  The  sleet  and  snow  rattled 
against  the  boards  and  on  the  shingles  over 
head,  a  deep  murmur  came  from  the  direction 
of  the  river  where  the  masses  of  ice  still 
craunched  and  tumbled  and  ground  together,  the 
shouts  of  revelers  were  heard  in  the  streets,  and 
the  heavy  breathing  of  the  doubled-up  form 
nearest  him  made  itself  heard  through  these 
other  sounds.  But  they  had  been  in  his  ears 
from  the  first.  He  could  hear  nothing  like 
hoarse  commands,  the  call  of  bugles  and  the 
hurrying  to  and  fro  of  horses  and  men.  But 
all  that  must  soon  come. 

Drawing  his  knees  close  to  his  body,  with  the 
hay  inclosing  his  form,  and  his  arms  clasped 
about  his  lower  limbs,  Jack  looked  across  the 
dismal  room  at  the  figure  of  the  sentinel,  who 
had  assumed  an  unmilitary  posture  by  leaning 
against  the  jamb  of  the  door.  His  musket 
rested  on  his  shoulder,  and  he  seemed  to  be 
gazing  steadily  at  the  young  prisoner. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  i9l 

The  stiff  hat  with  its  projecting  brim  shaded 
his  forehead  from  the  rays  of  the  lanterns,  but 
Jack  noted  the  lower  part  of  his  face,  which  was 
covered  with  a  grizzled  goatee  and  with  a  huge 
mustache  shading  his  upper  lip.  He  was  tall 
and  spare,  and  the  lad  plainly  saw  the  glitter  of 
his  dark  eyes  under  his  visor  as  he  looked  stead- 
ily at  him. 

"  I  wonder  whether  he  has  ever  seen  me 
before,"  the  lad  asked  himself,  unable  to  recall 
how  such  could  be  the  case,  since  he  had  not 
been  in  Trenton  for  the  past  month  ;  "  he  knows 
I  am  a  rebel  and  it  may  be  he  is  asking  himself 
whether  it  isn't  best  to  send  a  bullet  through 
me.  If  it  wasn't  for  mother  and  father  I 
wouldn't  care  a  penny  if  he  did  ;  I  am  of  no 
use  to  anybody,  and,  if  I  should  ask  General 
Washington  to  take  me  as  a  soldier,  he  would 
tell  me  I'm  worth  nothing  to  him  or  any  one 
else." 

Evil  thoughts  were  passing  through  the  brain 
of  the  Hessian.     If  they  partook  of  the  sinister 


192  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

nature  suspected  by  the  hapless  Jack,  they  were 
dissipated  by  an  unexpected  interference.  The 
door  was  suddenly  pushed  inward  and  another 
soldier,  his  garments  covered  with  sleet  and  ice, 
stepped  quickly  into  the  prison. 

He  had  come  to  exchange  places  or  rather  to 
relieve  the  sentinel  on  duty.  The  method  of 
doing  so  was  unmilitary,  for  regulations  re- 
quired a  certain  formula  to  be  gone  through 
with  by  the  sergeant  or  corporal  of  the  guard, 
but  all  this  was  disregarded  in  the  present  in- 
stance when  Trenton  was  almost  topsy-turvy 
with  merry-making.  In  truth,  the  two  men 
were  friends,  and  the  new  arrival  had  come 
voluntarily  to  take  the  place  of  the  man  on 
duty,  whose  time  for  relief  was  still  a  full  hour 
away. 

But  he  was  anxious  to  go  to  a  certain  spot, 
where  he  would  find  a  dark-eyed  Tory  lass  in 
whom  he  felt  more  than  a  passing  interest.  It 
was  a  great  favor  indeed  when  his  friend  re- 
lieved him,   though    in  a  comparatively  short 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  193 

while  the  good  Samaritan  would  be  free  to 
relinquish  his  trying  task. 

There  was  a  hurried  exchange  in  German, 
and  then  the  sentinel,  whose  garments  were 
dry,  strode  ont  into  the  storm,  and  the  one  who 
was  cold  and  wet  took  his  place.  He,  too, 
rested  his  musket  on  his  shoulder,  but  he  did 
not  loll  against  the  side  of  the  door,  though  he 
faced  about  and  looked  at  Jack  Marl  ton  with 
the  same  steadiness  as  his  predecessor. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  what  the  mischief 
those  fellows  see  to  interest  them  so  much  in 
me,"  mused  the  puzzled  Jack  ;  "  if  he  wants  to 
make  my  acquaintance,  why  doesn't  he  come 
over  here  and  introduce  himself  ? " 

As  if  in  answer  to  this  thought,  the  guard  at 
that  moment  left  his  station  and  walked  across 
the  hay  directly  toward  the  crouching  lad,  who 
was  startled  by  his  action. 

As  he  approached,  his  relative  change  of  posi- 
tion caused  the  light  of  one  of  the  lanterns  to 
show  his  face  quite  distinctly.     It  was  smoothly 


194  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

shaven,  broad,  like  his  own  stocky  figure,  and  lie 

was  unmistakably  grinning. 

But  it  seemed  that  it  was  the  window  and 
not  the  prisoner  which  interested  the  Hessian. 
Apparently  without  looking  at  the  latter,  he 
reached  out  his  hand  and  tried  the  iron  bars  in 
succession.  He  seemed  to  finger  and  tug  at  one 
of  them,  as  if  doubtful  of  its  stability,  but  he  was 
through  at  last,  and  then,  looking  down  at  Jack, 
he  asked  with  the  same  grin  and  in  a  low  voice, 
as  if  afraid  of  awaking  one  of  the  heavy 
sleepers : 

"How  you  do?" 

"  I  suppose  I  am  well,  but  I  couldn't  feel 
more  miserable." 

The  Hessian  grinned  more  expansively  than 
before. 

"  You  does  not  remember  me  ? " 

"  We  have  never  met  before  ;  how  could  I 
remember  you  ? " 

"  Dere  vos  vere  you  is  mistooken  ;  I  am  Fritz 
ven  you  brings  dat  tarn  fool  of  a  Tory  and  you 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  195 

vos  a  bigger  tarn  fool  'cos  you  hollered  out  loud 
dat  you  vos  a  rebel, — eh,  vot  you  tinks  ?  " 

Jack  Marlton  was  astounded.  In  the  gloom 
at  the  riverside,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
see  the  face  of  the  sentinel,  but  other  circum- 
stances made  it  easy  for  the  Hessian  to  identify 
him.  The  boy's  face  lighted  up,  and  he  started 
to  rise  to  his  feet,  bat  Fritz  motioned  him  to 
remain  where  he  was. 

"  Don't  do  dot  !  "  he  said  hurriedly,  speaking 
so  low  that  Jack  was  hardly  able  to  hear  him 
with  the  noise  of  the  raging  storm  in  his  ears. 
"  Bime-by  mebbe  somepody  come  to  the  door, 
and  ven  he  sees  me  talking  mit  you  he  say '  tarn.' " 

"Why,  Fritz,  I  never  dreamed  it  was  you." 

"  Jim,  vot  vos  here  when  I  took  his  place, — 
he  want  to  shoot  you  'cause  you  be  a  rebel, 
He  tells  me  you  looks  as  if  you  might  git  away. 
— so  I  comes  ober  and  I  looks  at  the  winder, — 
yaw  !  yaw  !  " 

The  stocky  fellow  shook  with  silent  laughter 
and  then  suddenly  controlling  himself  added  : 


196  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  De  winder  be  not  very  strong, — one  ob  de 
bars  ish  loose, — I  must  looks  out  dat  no  tarn 
rebel  slips  out  ven  my  back  is  turned." 

"  If  you  want  me  to  promise,  Fritz,  that  I  will 
take  no  advantage  of  your  kindness,  I  am  ready 
to  give  my  parole." 

"Who  ask  for  your  parole?"  demanded  the 
Hessian  angrily,  "  vait  till  somebody  don't  ask 
it  and  den  mebbe  you  vos  not  so  big  a  tarn  fool 
as  you  is  alretty, — eh,  don't  it  i " 

When  excited,  Fritz  seemed  to  speak  more 
brokenly  than  at  other  times.  The  grin  had 
gone  from  his  broad,  good-humored  countenance 
and  he  looked  as  if  really  angry  from  some 
cause  with  the  American  }routh  of  whom  he 
had  expressed  so  favorable  an  opinion  but  a 
short  time  before. 

Jack  Marlton  was  not  slow  mentally  and  a 
glimmering  suspicion  flashed  into  his  brain. 
The  candle-light  shone  full  upon  his  upturned 
face,  and,  looking  up  at  the  sentinel,  he  did  not 
speak,  but  smiled  and  solemnly  winked  one  eye. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  197 

"  Vat  for  you  winks  at  me,  you  rebel  \  Don't 
do  dat  agin  or  I — I — bur-r-r  !  "  and  he  puffed 
his  cheeks  and  shook  his  head,  as  if  unable  to 
express  his  rage,  but  there  was  no  deception  this 
time.  His  grin  was  more  tremendous  than 
before,  and  displayed  his  big  white  teeth,  while 
his  eyes  sparkled. 

Since  his  protest  was  uttered  in  louder  words 
than  he  had  been  using,  the  fact  gave  rise  to  the 
suspicion  that  they  were  intended  for  the  ears 
of  some  of  the  forms  doubled  up  in  the  hay,  if 
perchance  any  of  them  were  awake.  Jack  did 
not  attempt  any  reply,  but,  strive  as  he  might, 
he  could  not  smooth  out  the  smile  on  his  own 
face. 

As  if  not  daring  to  trust  himself  further, 
Fritz  strode  angrily  to  his  position  by  the  door. 
Then  he  stood  for  a  full  minute,  looking  straight 
at  Jack  Marlton,  who  might  have  felt  uneasy 
under  the  fixedness  of  the  stare,  had  he  not 
been  sure  of  its  meaning. 

The  lad  made  a  movement  as  if  to  rise  to  his 


198  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

feet,  but  paused  when  partly  up,  so  that  lus 
posture  was  a  stooping  one.  For  another 
minute,  the  guard  did  not  stir  a  muscle;  then  he 
deliberately  turned  his  bach  on  the  prisoner. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  199 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THROUGH    MISHAP    AND    PERIL. 

Jack  Marlton  rose  like  a  shadow  to  the  up- 
right posture.  The  Hessian  remained  as  motion- 
less as  a  statue  with  his  back  toward  him. 

The  change  of  position  brought  the  head  and 
shoulders  of  the  youth  above  the  sill  of  the 
window,  and  chilled  as  he  ahead}'  was,  he 
shivered  when  the  sleet  struck  his  face  and 
neck.  But  he  bravely  faced  the  tempest  and 
grasped  the  lower  bar  of  iron  which  crossed  the 
window.  He  exerted  a  tremendous  pull,  but  it 
remained  as  firm  as  if  imbedded  in  solid  rock. 

The  window  was  so  slight  in  extent  that 
three  rods  crossing  it  horizontally  were  sufficient 
to  prevent  the  egress  of  the  smallest  man.  He 
seized   the  middle  bar,  and?  throwing   all  his 


200  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

strength  into  the  effort,  drew  furiously  back- 
ward. The  resistance  was  so  slight  that  it  was 
really  none  at  all,  and  Jack  went  over  in  the 
straw,  grasping  the  iron  with  both  hands,  and 
with  his  feet  pointed  toward  the  rafters. 

Amid  the  racket,  he  fancied  he  heard  a  sound 
resembling  suppressed  laughter,  and,  as  he 
climbed  hastily  to  his  feet,  he  looked  around. 
The  sentinel's  back  was  toward  him,  but,  unless 
he  was  greatly  mistaken,  Jack  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  broad,  red  face  at  the  instant  it  whisked 
away,  and  there  could  be  but  one  cause  for  the 
quivering  of  those  huge  wet  shoulders. 

Jack  Marl  ton,  as  has  been  shown,  was  of 
sturdy  frame  and  was  thickly  clothed,  bearing 
that  the  space  he  had  opened  was  not  large 
enough  for  his  body,  he  tried  to  wrench  the 
topmost  bar  from  its  fastenings,  but  it  was  as 
strongly  imbedded  as  the  lowermost,  and  did  not 
yield  so  much  as  a  hair. 

"  I  guess  I  can  make  it,"  was  his  thought,  as 
again  holding  fast  to  the  upper  one,  he  drew 


JACK   SUDDENLY  WENT  OUT  OF  THE  WINDOW  HEAD   FIRST,  INTO   A   POOL   OF  WATER. 

Page  201 .  The  Boy  Patriot. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  201 

himself  slightly  upward,  thrust  his  head  through 
and  began  vigorously  working  his  body  be- 
tween the  two  rods.  It  was  a  tight  squeeze, 
and  twice  he  thought  he  was  inextricably  fast, 
but  working  desperately,  he  suddenly  went  out 
head  first,  dropping  on  his  face  into  a  pool  cf 
water  and  ice. 

It  was  as  dark  as  Egypt,  but  when  he  strug- 
gled to  his  feet,  he  could  not  help  turning  about 
and  peeping  through  the  window. 

There  was  the  gloomy  interior,  dimly  lit  up 
by  the  suspended  lanterns,  the  mow  on  the 
right,  the  hay  on  the  floor,  with  two  of  the 
sleepers  visible,  and  directly  opposite  was  the 
single  door  of  the  barn.  And  beside  that  door, 
stood  Fritz  the  sentinel,  not  with  his  back 
turned,  but  facing  about,  with  a  grin  that 
seemed  to  reach  his  ears,  while  his  whole  body 
shook  with  merriment. 

"  Heaven  bless  you  !  "  muttered  Jack  Marl  ton ; 
"  the  Hessians  aren't  very  popular  in  this  part 
of  the  world  but  you  are  a  good  fellow." 


202  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Fritz  moved  hurriedly  across  the  floor,  picked 
up  the  displaced  rod  and  carefully  restored  it  to 
place.  Before  doing  this  he  thrust  his  head  be- 
tween the  other  bars,  and  blinking  in  the  sleet, 
attempted  to  peer  into  the  impenetrable  dark- 
ness. He  could  see  nothing,  and  it  may  have 
been  he  depended  on  his  hearing,  but  that  was 
equally  at  fault,  and  he  drew  his  head  back 
again,  made  the  window  look  as  it  was  before, 
and  returned  to  his  former  position  by  the  door. 

Jack  would  have  been  glad  to  express  his 
thanks  to  his  friend,  or  to  communicate  with  him 
in  some  manner,  but  he  feared  it  would  not  be 
pleasing  to  him,  and  he  began  picking  his  way 
from  the  spot. 

This  was  difficult,  for,  familiar  as  he  was  with 
Trenton,  he  could  not  be  expected  to  know  the 
back-yards  and  all  of  the  out-of-the-way  places. 
He  recalled  in  what  part  of  the  toAvn  he  was, 
but  of  his  immediate  surroundings  had  no  more 
knowledge  than  if  dropped  from  a  balloon  into- 
the  interior  of  Africa. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  203 

Pie  understood  he  must  pass  around  from  the 
rear  to  the  front,  in  order  to  reach  the  street 
where  he  would  feel  at  home,  provided  no  one 
molested  him,  but  in  whatever  direction  he 
looked,  he  could  not  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
slightest  illumination.  Moreover,  that  peculiar 
lightness  to  which  I  have  referred,  seemed  to 
have  departed  for  the  time,  so  that,  had  the  lad 
held  his  hand  in  front  of  his  face,  he  would 
have  been  unable  to  detect  so  much  as  its 
outlines. 

"  I  guess  I  won't  have  any  trouble,"  he  thought, 
as,  with  hands  outstretched,  he  began  cau- 
tiously feeling  his  way  forward ;  "  all  I've  got 
to  do " 

Some  one  had  stretched  a  clothesline  across 
the  dark  space  over  which  Jack  was  groping, 
and  under  the  thorough  wetting  it  received,  it 
had  shrunk  as  taut  as  a  wire.  Slipping  directly 
under  his  chin,  he  was  almost  lifted  off  his  feet, 
and  an  abrupt  change  was  produced  in  the  cur- 
rent of  his  thoughts, 


204  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  My  gracious !  "  he  muttered,  rubbing  his 
throat ;  "I  thought  it  had  sawed  my  head  off, 
but  I  believe  it  is  still  on  my  shoulders." 

The  fear  that  there  might  be  another  branch 
of  the  line  caused  him  now  to  hold  his  hands 
higher  than  before,  while  he  advanced  literally 
inch  by  inch. 

We  always  take  in  our  line  when  it  rains  and 
I  don't  see  why  other  folks  don't  do  it ;  as  like 
as  not — great  Ciesar  !  " 

Since  it  was  impossible  to  see  where  he  placed 
his  feet,  and  the  ground  was  covered  with  ice 
and  sleet,  Jack's  shoes  at  that  instant  shot  for- 
ward and  he  sat  down  with  so  sudden  a  thump 
that  the  whole  night  was  illumined  by  myriads 
of  stars,  and  his  teeth  rattled  more  violently 
than  ever  before.  But  his  thick  clothing  and 
his  rugged  frame  prevented  any  serious  injury 
from  the  jar. 

"  I  wonder  how  long  this  thing  will  keep  up," 
he  said,  carefully  climbing  to  his  feet  and  dis- 
posed to  smile  at  his  predicament ;  "  it  begins 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  205 

to  look  as  if  Fritz  had  let  me  out  of  the  frying- 
pan  into  the  fire." 

For  a  few  steps  he  made  fair  progress.  Look- 
ing behind  him,  he  could  see  the  dim  glow  of 
the  yellow  light  from  the  lanterns  as  the  rays 
straggled  through  the  barred  window  ;  but  that 
was  of  no  help,  since  he  could  not  return,  and 
he  was  still  in  utter  ignorance  of  his  surround- 
ings, but  he  reflected  that  if  he  kept  on  he  must 
come  out  someivhere,  and  he  continued  to  advance 
with  a  care  that  could  not  have  been  greater. 

"  If  I  had  known  that  I  was  ever  to  climb 
into  this  place,"  he  reflected,  giving  rein  to  his 
queer  fancies,  "  I  would  have  come  over  from 
home  last  summer  and  studied  the  lay  of  the 
land » 

This  time,  he  banged  against  the  side  of  a 
board  fence,  with  a  violence  that  was  strange, 
considering  the  caution  he  put  forth ;  but  he 
struck  it  fairly,  his  cap  flying  off,  while  he  was 
sure  that  his  nose  was  so  flattened  that  it  would 
never  recover  its  normal  shape.     He   had  not 


206  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

drawn  on  his,  mittens,  since  lie  removed  them 
for  the  purpose  of  handling  the  oars  and  pole 
of  his  boat.  His  hands  were  chilled,  but  he 
thought  it  better  to  keep  them  uncovered  until 
his  eyes  could  serve  him  to  better  purpose. 

The  fact  that  he  had  collided  with  the  fence 
indicated  that  he  was  making  some  progress  ; 
and  since  the  boards  were  in  the  nature  of  an 
obstruction,  he  naturally  felt  that  it  was  imper- 
atively necessary  for  him  to  place  himself  on 
the  other  side. 

"  It  can't  be  very  high  and  I  can  climb  over  it." 

Reaching  upward,  he  failed  to  touch  the  top. 

"  It's  higher  than  I  thought,  but  I  can  make  it 
by  jumping." 

Stooping  down,  he  made  an  energetic  leap 
upward,  both  hands  extended  to  grasp  the  top. 
His  finger-tips  just  touched  it,  and,  as  he  dropped 
back  on  his  feet,  his  palms  scraped,  down  the 
side  of  the  boards,  gathering  several  splinters 
during  the  process. 

"  The  top  is  up  there  somewhere,"  he  mut- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  207 

tered  desperately,  as  he  stooped  still  lower  and 
put  all  Iris  strength  in  the  effort.  This  time,  he 
firmly  seized  the  top,  though  half  prepared  to 
find  it  studded  with  needle-like  nails,  quickly 
drew  himself  upward  and  flung  one  of  his  sturdy 
legs  across  the  jagged  support  to  rest  himself 
for  a  moment. 

"  Well,  I've  got  so  far,"  he  muttered  with  a  sigh 
of  hope,  "  and  by  George  !  I'm  going  somewhere 
else,"  he  added,  as  the  frail  support  gave  way 
under  his  weight.  Evidently  the  fence  had  not 
been  constructed  with  a  view  of  holding  up 
lusty  young  patriots,  for,  before  Jack  could  help 
himself,  it  went  down  with  a  crash  that  he  was 
sure  must  have  been  heard  several  rods  away, 
despite  the  turmoil  of  the  tempest. 

If  he  had  been  unfortunate  in  his  attempts  to 
reach  the  street  from  the  rear  of  the  guard- 
house, he  had  been  extremely  fortunate  in 
another  respect,  in  that  he  escaped  personal  in- 
jury, despite  the  severe  bumping  and  jars  he 
underwent.     The  fence  went  down  as  if  it  were 


208  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

waiting  until  he  ensconced  himself  on  the  top, 
when  it  collapsed  in  a  twinkling.  Jack  knew 
he  was  not  hurt,  but  the  most  alarming  discov- 
ery of  all  accompanied  the  crash  of  the  fence. 
Just  beyond,  he  caught  the  twinkle  of  a  light 
from  the  lower  story  of  a  house,  only  a  few 
paces  distant,  and  with  the  glimpse  he  heard  the 
ominous  growling  of  a  huge  dog,  which  bounded 
out  of  the  gloom  and  rushed  toward  him,  as  if 
he,  like  the  fence,  was  waiting  until  his  victim 
was  inextricably  in  his  power. 

But  again,  the  wonderful  good  luck  of  the 
youth  remained  with  him.  The  massive  canine 
arrived  like  a  thunderburst,  and  Jack  felt  his 
nose  jammed  against  his  own  cold  face,  as  he 
began  climbing  to  his  feet  ;  but  the  brute  did 
not  bite  nor  make  any  attempt  to  bite  him. 
The  lad  addressed  him  soothingly  and  the 
animal,  after  nosing  around  for  a  few  minutes, 
seemed  to  be  satisfied,  and  trotted  off  to  the 
shelter  of  his  kennel,  possibly  through  disgust 
with  the  weather. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  I  wonder  if  he  knows  who  I  am,"  was  the 
grim  query  of  Jack  Marltou,  who  was  once 
more  upright  ;  "  maybe  he  concluded  not  to 
chew  me  tip,  feeling  sure  he  could  have  more 
fun  in  keeping  under  shelter  and  watching  me 
break  my  neck." 

But  his  situation  had  improved.  While  all 
was  blank  darkness  behind,  there  was  light  in 
front.  The  house  sat  low  on  the  ground,  and  a 
glow  showed  at  a  rear  window.  There  was  no 
closed  shutter,  but  the  interior  was  hidden  by 
a  curtain  drawn  across  the  panes. 

Jack  formed  a  sudden  resolution  to  ask  for 
hospitality.  He  was  not  only  wet  and  cold,  but 
involved  in  such  a  labyrinth  of  turnings  and 
windings,  that  he  doubted  whether  he  could  go 
any  further  before  daylight,  except  with  the 
certainty  of  receiving  grievous  injury.  His 
good  luck  coidd  not  last. 

It  was  only  a  few  paces  to  the  door  at  the 

side  of  the  window,  and  he  advanced  with  more 

confidence  than    he  had  yet  shown.     He   had 
14 


210  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

not  reached  it,  when,  as  if  she  had  heard  some- 
thing of  the  racket,  a  young  woman  suddenly 
opened  the  door  and  stood  revealed  by  the  light 
of  a  roaring  fire  of  logs  behind  her. 

Jack  instantly  increased  his  pace,  calling  out 
cheerily  : 

"  Good  evening,  Miss  !  Don't  be  frightened  ; 
for  I  am  only " 

His  haste  brought  the  inevitable  catastrophe, 
for  he  made  the  last  few  paces  of  the  interven- 
ing distance  on  his  back,  with  his  feet  almost 
carrying  the  woman  off  her  balance.  She  saved 
herself  by  leaping  back  a  step  with  a  startled 
exclamation : 

"My  goodness  !  what's  the  matter  with 
you  ?  "  she  gasped. 

"  Nothing  at  all,"  replied  Jack,  picking  up 
his  cap,  which  had  been  again  displaced  ;  "  the 
walking  doesn't  seem  to  be  good  in  this  part  of 
the  country." 

"  Are  you  hurt  ? "  she  asked  pityingly. 

u  Nothing  to  speak  of  ;  I  think  I  have  broken 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  211 

both  legs,  one  of  my  arms  and  my  neck  is 
twisted  about  a  foot  to  one  side.  Were  you 
expecting  me  ?  "  he  asked  grimly. 

"Why,  I  thought  you  were  Jim,"  was  the 
innocent  reply. 

"  Won't  you  accept  me  as  Jim  for  a  little 
while,  till  I  can  warm  myself  ? "  he  asked,  turn- 
ing his  handsome,  smiling  face  toward  the 
comely  maid  so  pleadingly  that  she  restrained 
herself  from  shutting  the  door  in  his  face  ;  "  I 
am  nearly  frozen,  and  you  can  see  how  wet  my 
clothing  is.  I  need  warmth  to  save  my  life,"  he 
added  more  seriously,  taking  a  step  into  the 
cosy  room. 

The  woman's  heart  melted  and  she  closed  the 
door  not  in  front  but  behind  him. 

"  You  are  welcome,"  she  said  graciously  ;  "  I 
don't  know  how  soon  Jim  will  be  back,  but  you 
can  stay  till  he  comes." 

The  situation  was  plain.  Jim  was  keeping 
company  with  the  young  woman  and  she  was 
waiting  for  his  return.     He  had  been  there,  and 


212  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

was  called  away  for  a  time,  but  there  was  little 
doubt  of  his  return,  else  she  would  not  have 
been  up  at  this  late  hour,  for,  though  there  was 
no  timepiece  in  sight,  it  was  certainly  beyond 
midnight,  and  it  was  apparent  that  the  people 
of  the  house  were  unaware  of  the  visitor  below 
stairs. 

Jack  Marlton  had  entered  the  kitchen,  which 
was  clean  and  tidy.  Best  of  all,  a  big  fire  on 
the  hearth  filled  the  room  with  a  glowing  warmth 
that  gave  new  life  to  him.  Apologizing  and 
thanking  the  girl  for  her  permission,  he  placed 
himself  so  near  the  blazing  logs  that  the  steam 
began  ascending  in  clouds  from  his  saturated 
and  frozen  clothing. 

"  May  I  know  your  name  ? "  he  asked  respect- 
fully of  the  girl,  who  had  seated  herself  a  little 
distance  away. 

"  Mary  Brown." 

"  Well,  Mary,  I  shall  never  forget  your  kind- 


ness." 


"  Who  are  you  and  where  did  you  come  from  ? " 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  213 

"  My  name  is  Jack  Marlton  and  my  home  is  in 
Pennsylvania,  which  you  know  is  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river.  I  lost  my  way,  when  I  hap- 
pened to  see  your  light,  and,  being  chilled 
through,  I  made  bold  to  ask  for  shelter  for  a 
short  time." 

This  answer,  while  truthful  as  far  as  it  went, 
did  not  satisfy  the  young  woman,  who  evidently 
was  suspicious. 

"  I  don't  understand  how,  if  you  lost  your 
way,  you  got  into  the  back-yard  of  Mr.  Grilnian's 
house.1' 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  would  have  gotten  there 
if  I  hadn't  lost  my  way,  Mary  ?  I  thought  I  was 
pretty  well  acquainted  with  Trenton,  but  there 
are  some  parts  that  are  new  to  me." 

"  But  you  had  to  climb  the  fences  to  get  into 
our  yard." 

u  I  climbed  only  one  fence." 

"  What  made  you  do  that  ? " 

u  It  got  right  across  my  path  and  it  was  so 
dark  I  couldn't  see  my  way  round  it." 


214  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  But  why  did  you  climb  it  at  all  ?  "  persisted 
the  young  woman. 

Jack  did  not  think  it  safe  to  tell  her  the 
whole  truth,  for  there  was  no  saying  what  her 
political  sentiments  were.  She  might  be  a  Tory 
as  ready  to  do  him  harm  as  was  Aaron  Wagstaff. 
While  he  could  not  tell  a  falsehood,  he  thought 
himself  warranted  in  misleading  her. 

"  You  know  there  are  a  good  many  drunken 
soldiers  abroad  on  Christmas  night  and  I  think 
it  best  to  keep  out  of  their  way.  But  tell  me 
please,  who  Jim  is." 

"  He  is  one  of  Colonel  Rail's  soldiers ;  he 
went  round  to  the  guard-house  a  little  while  ago 
to  shoot  a  young  rebel  they  caught  this  evening ; 
then  he's  coming  back  to  spend  the  rest  of  the 
evening  with  me.  It's  about  time  he  is  here, 
for  it  won't  take  him  long  to  kill  the  little  rebel. 
I  wish  he  would  hurry  up." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  215 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


PAST    MIDNIGHT. 


Jack  Marlton  suddenly  concluded  that  his 
clothing  was  sufficiently  dried  and  there  was  no 
need  of  his  remaining  longer  in  the  kitchen  of 
the  house  in  which  he  had  taken  shelter. 

"  Jim  "  was  liable  to  put  in  an  appearance  at 
any  moment,  and,  to  say  the  least,  unpleasant 
complications  were  sure  to  follow. 

"  I  guess  I'll  go  now,  Mary ;  I'm  much  obliged 
to  you  for  your  kindness." 

""Why,  your  clothes  are  not  half -dry,"  she 
protested ;  "  wait  till  Jim  comes,  for  I  will  feel 
safer  with  company." 

"  I — I  am  in  a  hurry  and  have  stayed  too  long 
already,"  said  the  lad,  walking  quickly  to  the 
door  and  drawing  it  open  ;  "  good  night ! " 


216  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

In  the  flood  of  light  which  streamed  out  into 
the  sleet,  Jack  saw  the  figure  of  a  man,  tall, 
erect,  dripping,  in  Hessian  uniform,  and  with  a 
musket  in  his  hand.  He  was  only  a  few  paces 
away,  and  was  so  clearly  revealed  in  the  glow- 
ing firelight  that  the  lad  recognized  him  on  the 
instant  as  the  soldier  who  was  acting  as  guard 
over  him,  when  relieved  by  the  kinder-hearted 
Fritz. 

He  must  have  been  astonished  at  sight  of  the 
sturdy  figure,  for  he  stared  wonderingly  without 
moving.  The  same  cannot  be  said  of  Jack 
Marlton,  who  was  out  of  the  door  in  a  twin- 
kling, and  hurrying  around  the  rear  of  the  house 
and  toward  the  front,  which,  it  will  be  noted, 
was  in  the  direction  of  the  river.  He  was  run- 
ning a  risk  of  another  bad  fall,  but  it  would  not 
do  to  hesitate.  He  slipped  once  or  twice,  but 
kept  to  his  feet,  and  while  still  groping  onward, 
found  that  he  had  debouched  upon  the  small 
street  which  ran  for  a  little  way  parallel  to 
First  Street  and  the  Delaware. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  217 

No  fence  separated  the  dwelling  from  this 
avenue,  but  a  glimmering  light  here  and  there 
helped  the  lad  to  recognize  where  he  was.  He 
turned  to  the  right  and  proceeded  with  more 
caution. 

Less  than  half  a  dozen  steps  were  taken  in 
this  guarded  fashion,  when  he  heard  footfalls  in 
the  darkness  behind  him.  They  were  un- 
doubtedly those  of  Jim,  who  having  learned  the 
identity  of  the  fugitive,  had  set  out  to  com- 
plete  the  fearful  duty  that  took  him  from  the 
side  of  Mary. 

"  Hold  on  dere  !  "  called  the  Hessian,  unable 
to  discern  anything  in  the  midnight  sleet 
but  well  aware  that  his  victim  could  not  be 
far  off. 

Jack's  hand  touched  the  trunk  of  an  immense 
oak,  which  grew  at  the  side  of  the  path  and 
between  it  and  the  highway.  He  stopped  short, 
and  silently  moved  around  the  icy  bark  so  as 
to  interpose  it  between  him  and  his  enemy.  It 
seemed  impossible  that  the  latter  should  hear 


218  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

the  movements  of  the  youth,  but  Jack  took  no 
chances  he  could  avoid. 

"  Hold  on  dere  !  "  called  the  half-drunken 
Hessian  ;  "  you  tarn  rebel,  I  vants " 

There  was  a  crash  and  the  fellow  went  down 
on  the  broad  of  his  back  with  a  violence  that 
fairly  made  the  earth  tremble  and  would  have 
cracked  his  skull  had  it  not  been  of  unusual 
thickness.  That  he  was  not  killed,  was  proven 
by  the  volley  of  oaths  uttered  in  German  as  the 
wretch  began  gingerly  climbing  to  his  feet  and 
felt  around  in  the  gloom  for  his  musket  and 
hat, 

Jack  Marlton  shook  with  silent  mirth. 

"  Good  !  "  he  thought  to  himself  ;  "  he's  get- 
ting a  little  of  the  fun  I  had  awhile  ago." 

Jim  must  have  made  up  his  mind  that  the 
job  he  had  undertaken  was  an  unprofitable  one, 
for  he  turned  about  and  groped  back  to  the 
more  comfortable  kitchen,  where  his  sweetheart 
waited  to  bathe  his  wounds  and  speak  words  of 
soothing  cheer. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  219 

There  were  some  features  about  this  incident 
which,  even  in  his  disturbed  mental  state, 
puzzled  Jack  Marlton.  Jim,  as  has  already  been 
stated,  was  the  Hessian  on  duty  when  Fritz 
appeared  and  voluntarily  took  his  place.  That 
the  friendly  German  did  this  for  the  express 
purpose  of  giving  Jack  a  chance  of  escaping 
could  not  be  doubted,  and  the  reason  for  his 
course  must  have  been  that  he  knew  the  young 
rebel  was  in  danger  of  his  life.  It  followed, 
therefore,  dreadful  as  it  may  sound,  that  when 
Jim  scanned  his  prisoner  so  closely,  he  was 
meditating  the  dreadful  crime  of  shooting  him 
while  helpless  and  in  his  power.  Probably  he 
would  have  carried  out  his  purpose,  but  for  the 
timely  coming  of  Fritz. 

The  remarkable  feature,  however,  was  that, 
after  resigning  his  place  to  his  comrade,  he 
should  have  deliberately  left  the  side  of  Mary 
Brown  and  gone  back  to  the  guard-house  with 
the  intention  of  carrying  out  his  murderous 
design.     While  this  proved  that  he  had  no  sus- 


220  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

picion  of  Fritz's  friendship  for  the  prisoner,  it 
argued  a  cold-blooded  cruelty  that  seems  incred- 
ible. It  argue  sfurther  that  the  miscreant  con- 
templated  a  crime  which  civilized  warfare 
punishes  severely,  and  yet  there  was  no  hesita- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  wretch,  who  most  likely 
would  have  shot  Jack  Marlton  before  Fritz 
could  have  interfered. 

In  partial  explanation  of  the  extraordinary 
proceedings,  it  should  be  said  that  most  of  the 
Hessians  were  lawless,  cruel  and  savage  to  the 
last  degree.  There  were  1,500  of  them  quartered 
in  and  about  Trenton  ;  they  stole  from  the 
people,  abused  the  old  men  and  children,  insulted 
the  women,  robbed  right  and  left,  and  indulged 
in  wanton  outrages  that  made  their  presence 
like  a  deadly  plague.  If  a  soldier  on  the  street 
chose  to  strike  down  one  of  the  inhabitants  by 
a  blow  from  his  musket,  or  if  an  officer  for  a 
fancied  insult  drove  his  sword  through  the  body 
of  an  unoffending  man,  there  was  no  redress. 
It  will  be  understood,  therefore,  that  when  Jim, 


THE  BOY  PARTIOT.  221 

yielding  to  his  murderous  mood,  and  made  more 
murderous  doubtless  by  the  strong  drink  he 
had  swallowed,  started  to  return  to  the  guard- 
house for  the  purpose  of  shooting  an  inoffensive 
youth,  he  was  not  troubled  by  any  fear  of  con- 
sequences to  himself.  Learning  from  Mary  that 
his  intended  victim  had  just  left  her  presence, 
or  perhaps,  suspecting  his  identity  from  the 
glimpse  caught  of  him  as  he  whisked  off  in  the 
darkness,  the  Hessian  made  after  him.  The 
gloom  was  all  that  saved  Jack  Marlton  from 
serving  as  the  target  of  the  Hessian's  musket. 

Still  further,  it  must  be  remembered  that 
these  incidents  occurred  on  Christmas  night, 
1776,  when  the  lax  discipline  among  the  in- 
vaders of  Trenton  was  more  lax  than  usual,  and 
the  majority  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  were 
partly  or  wholly  intoxicated. 

The  situation  of  Jack  was  better  than  before, 
and,  finding  himself  freed  from  the  malignity  of 
the  Hessian,  he  picked  his  way  with  little  diffi- 
culty to  the  corner  of  the  street  near  at  hand, 


222  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Passing  up  the  slight  incline,  he  crossed  First 
Street  and  continued  on  toward  Second  Street, 
which,  you  will  bear  in  mind,  was  the  main 
avenue  of  the  town  at  that  time,  as  it  is  to-day 
known  under  the  name  of  State  Street. 

Relieved  of  immediate  personal  danger,  Jack 
did  not  forget  that  so  long  as  he  stayed  in  town, 
he  was  exposed  to  a  certain  degree  of  peril. 
Now,  since  many  of  the  citizens  as  well  as  the 
soldiers  were  on  the  street,  and  the  interference 
was  no  greater  than  usual,  except  so  far  as  was 
due  to  the  merrymaking,  which  kept  many 
abroad  longer  than  at  other  times, — it  would 
seem  there  was  no  reason  why  suspicion  should 
be  directed  toward  the  young  patriot.  Why 
should  he  be  singled  out  from  others  who  walked 
to  and  fro  unmolested  ? 

There  was  no  reason  for  such  distinction,  ex- 
cept on  the  part  of  those  who  recognized  him. 
It  looked  as  if  Jim  and  Fritz  were  the  only  ones 
who  could  do  this,  and  there  ought  to  have  been 
no  cause  to  fear  either.     Fritz  was  a  friend,  and 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  223 

Jim  was  not  likely  to  leave  the  side  of  his 
sweetheart  to  hunt  for  a  youthful  rebel  toward 
whom  he  had  no  grounds  for  special  spite. 

But  Aaron  "Wagstaff  !  He  was  "base  enough 
to  encompass  the  death  of  Jack,  if  the  oppor- 
tunity presented.  Where  was  he  and  what  was 
he  doing  ? 

These  questions  brought  Jack  Marl  ton's 
thoughts  back  to  the  momentous  theme  that  had 
engaged  them  for  hours  past,  and  that  had 
brought  him  into  all  this  danger. 

Surely  if  Colonel  Rail  had  received  the  mes- 
sage from  the  Tory,  he  had  not  acted  upon  it, 
for  the  signs  on  the  streets  showed  no  unusual 
excitement.  On  anv  other  nigdit,  the  citizens 
would  have  been  in  their  homes  and  sleeping, 
with  only  the  guards  passing  back  and  forth  on 
their  dismal  beats,  but,  as  has  been  shown,  it 
was  different  now  because  it  was  Christmas 
night. 

Jack  was  perplexed  for  an  explanation  of  this 
state  of  things.     He  recalled  that  he  had  heard 


224  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Colonel  Rail  held  the  Americans  in  contempt, 
and  had  said  many  times  that  he  had  not  the 
slightest  fear  of  an  attack  from  them ;  but  I 
have  already  said  he  had  proven  himself  a  good 
soldier,  and  therefore  was  not  the  one  to  turn 
down  a  warning  like  that  which  the  young  Tory 
had  brought  from  his  father. 

Jack  could  figure  out  but  one  explanation  : 
despite  the  time  that  had  elapsed,  something 
had  interfered  to  prevent  Aaron  delivering  his 
letter  to  the  Hessian  commander. 

"  But  he  will  do  so  any  minute " 

The  young  patriot  caught  his  breath,  for  of 
all  the  shocks  received  that  evening,  the  greatest 
came  to  him,  when  he  recognized  Aaron  Wagstaff 
less  than  a  dozen  paces  in  front  of  him  ! 

Now,  if  you  choose  to  visit  Trenton  to-day 
and  look  around  you,  you  will  discover  well  out 
on  State  Street  (and  first  beyond  Warren)  a 
cross  avenue,  called  Willow,  which  slopes  down- 
ward to  Front,  where  it  ends.  Willow  Street 
was  there  in  the  Revolution,  and  Jack  Marlton 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  225 

was  making  his  way  up  it  to  Second  (State), 
when  by  the  glimmering  light  from  a  house  on 
his  left,  he  recognized  Aaron  Wagstaff  coming 
toward  him. 

Jack  being  in  deeper  gloom  was  not  identified 
by  his  enemy,  wdio  approached  without  any  sus- 
picion of  the  truth.  Moreover,  it  must  be  added 
that  Jack  was  shocked  to  note,  from  the  slightly 
uncertain  gait  of  the  Tory,  that  he,  like  most 
other  people  that  night,  was  feeling  the  effect 
of  liquor,  though  to  a  less  extent  than  were 
the  majority  of  those  who  were  celebrating  the 
"  auspicious  occasion." 

A  startling  resolution  crystallized  in  Jack 
Marlton's  mind. 

"  He  hasn't  given  his  note  to  Colonel  Rail ; 
I'll  take  it  from  him  !  " 

Aaron  Wagstaff  was  coming  along  the  un- 

paved  street,  with  no  thought  of  harm,  when 

something  like   a  catapult  crashed  against  him 

from  the  gloom  and  bore  him  backward  to  the 

ground.     A  hand  was  at  his  throat,  while  the 
*5 


226  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

other  tore  open  his  heavy  coat  and  began  hastily 
running  through  his  pockets. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  I  hain't  got  any  money,'1 
spluttered  the  Tory,  struggling  vainly  to  free 
himself  from  the  iron  pressure  that  impeded  his 
utterance. 

"  Give  me  that  letter  to  Colonel  Rail  !  If  you 
want  to  save  your  life  let  me  have  it  right  off  ! " 

"  I  hain't  got  any  letter  for  Colonel  Rail." 

"  You  have  and  I  know  it !  Let  me  have  it 
or  I'll  choke  you  to  death  ! " 

It  must  have  flashed  upon  the  Tory  just  then 
that  he  was  in  the  grip  of  his  old  acquaintance, 
for  still  sputtering  and  writhing  he  managed  to 
say: 

"  I  did  have  it,  Jack  !  But  I  gave  it  to  Colo- 
nel Rail  two  hours  ago ;  you're  too  late,  as 
you've  been  every  time  to-night.     Let  me  up  !  " 

With  a  sickening  heart,  Jack  Marlton  searched 
every  pocket,  but  the  little  package  wrapped  in 
oilskin  was  missing.  He  did  not  doubt  that 
Aaron  spoke  the  truth  and  the  momentous  letter 


"GIVE    ME    THAT    LETTER    TO    COLONEL  RALL,"  DEMANDED  JACK,    '"IF  YOU  WANT 

to  save  your  LIFE.1' — Page  226.  Tfie  Boy  Patriot. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  227 

had  been  delivered  some  time  before  to  the 
Hessian  commander. 

Had  the  young  patriot  been  given  time  in 
which  to  deliberate,  he  probably  would  not  have 
made  his  assault,  for,  suppose  he  had  recovered 
the  letter,  how  would  it  have  availed  him,  since 
the  Tory  could  deliver  his  message  just  as  well 
by  word  of  mouth  ?  Possibly  it  would  have 
had  less  effect  than  a  written  one,  signed  by 
a  personage  whose  sentiments  were  known 
to  Colonel  Rail,  but  the  ultimate  result  of  such 
a  warning  would  have  been  as  effective  as 
a  written  one. 

Jack  was  angered  enough  to  administer  a 
beating  to  Wagstaff  on  "general  principles  "  as 
may  be  said,  but  he  refrained,  and  permitted 
him  to  climb  to  his  feet. 

"  Take  another  drink,  and  you'll  tumble  down 
on  the  street  and  freeze  to  death  ;  it  would  be 
the  best  thing  that  could  happen  to  you." 

By  way  of  reply,  the  Tory  raised  his  voice 
and  yelled  at  the  top  of  kis  lungs  : 


228  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  Watch  !  watch  !  I'm  robbed  !  A  rebel  spy 
is  here  !     Quick  !  " 

The  startling  words  were  in  the  mouth  of 
Wagstaff,  when  to  Jack  Marlton's  alarm,  he 
heard,  amid  the  sleet,  the  sound  of  some  one 
running  toward  them  in  response  to  the  call  of 
the  Tory.  That  he  was  a  guard  was  proven  the 
next  moment,  when  he  called  out : 

u  Shtop  !  or  I  shoots  ! " 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

NEAR    MORNING. 

There  was  not  a  moment  to  spare.  The 
guard  was  almost  upon  Jack  Marlton,  when  he 
turned  to  run  for  his  life.  He  was  fleet  of  foot 
and  familiar  with  that  part  of  the  town,  but  the 
same  was  to  be  said  of  the  Hessian,  who  gripped 
him  by  the  collar  before  he  could  run  a  dozen 
steps,  and  held  him  immovably,  though  the  youth 
struggled  with  might  and  main  to  free  himself. 

The  Tory  dashed  up. 

•'  He's  a  rebel  spy  !  he's  been  sneaking  round 
town  all  ni^ht  to  find  out  something  to  tell 
General  Washington  !    Why  don't  you  kill  him  ? " 

"  Mebbe  you  vos  kills  him, — don't  it  ? " 
suggested  the  guard. 

"  I  would  do  so,  but  he  stabbed  me,  so  I  feel 
faint.     Oh,  how  I  would  like  to  get  at  him  ! " 

u  I  lets  you  got  at  him,"  said  the  soldier,  who 


230  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

seemed  to  be  in  an  accommodating  mood  that 
Christmas  night ;  "  you  and  he  fights  mit  him 
out,  don't  it  ?  " 

But  this  was  a  contingency  that  the  Tory  had 
not  counted  on. 

"  I'd  do  it  some  other  time  but — but — Colo- 
nel Rail  wants  to  see  me,"  and  Wagstafl:  turned 
about  and  hurried  up  the  street  toward  Second, 
on  which  the  Hessian  commander  had  his  head- 
quarters with  the  merchant,  Abraham  Hunt. 

Despite  the  words  of  the  guard,  he  had  not 
once  loosened  his  grip  on  the  collar  of  Jack 
Marlton's  coat.  He  stood  quiet  for  a  moment 
after  the  departure  of  the  Tory,  for,  despite  the 
latter' s  outcry,  no  one  else  had  been  attracted  to 
the  spot.  When  they  were  alone,  the  Hessian 
released  his  hold,  and  with  a  tone  of  deep  dis- 
gust, said  : 

"You  vos  de  tamnedest  fool  dot  I  never 
seed !  " 

"  Why,  Fritz,  is  that  you  %  "  exclaimed  the 
delighted  Jack,  recognizing  for  the  first  time  the 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  231 

voice  of  his  old  friend ;  "  I  thought  I  was  a 
goner  this  time  sure." 

"  So  you  vos  !  you  makes  me  sick ;  vot  ain't 
de  matter  ?  ?' 

"  Why  what  have  I  done,  Fritz  ? " 

"Dit  you  hear  dot  lobster  yell  out  like  a 
house  afire  \ " 

"  I  didn't  know  he  would  do  it  ;  he  did  it 
before  I  could  stop  him." 

"  Why  you  not  pound  his  head  off  afore  he 
yells?" 

Jack  understood  him  now.  He  was  angry 
because  the  young  patriot  had  not  "  done  up  " 
the  Tory  off-hand  and  thus  quenched  his 
voice. 

"  I'll  remember  next  time,"  said  the  youth 
meekly  ;  "  he's  a  bad  fellow  and  it  would  serve 
him  right." 

u  You  vos  better  go  somewhere  else  ;  you 
goes  mit  me,  don't  it  ? " 

Jack  never  did  anything  more  willingly  than 
when  he  accompanied  his  strange  friend.     He 


232  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

might  have  felt  some  misgiving,  when  he  saw 
they  were  walking  down  Willow  toward  First 
Street,  on  which  the  guard-house  stood,  but  for 
his  confidence  in  Fritz,  who  had  already  done  so 
much  for  him. 

They  passed  a  hundred  yards  or  more  beyond 
the  guard-house,  in  front  of  which  a  lantern 
gleamed  in  the  sleety  darkness,  and  then,  turn- 
ing to  the  right,  which  was  on  the  same  side, 
stumbled  through  the  night  to  the  rear  of  a 
dwelling,  where  all  was  gloom  ;  but  evidently 
Fritz  knew  where  he  was,  and,  like  many  of  his 
companions,  had  a  sweetheart  within  convenient 
distance. 

He  had  to  take  the  hand  of  Jack  to  guide  him 
down  some  short  steps,  when  he  knocked  on  the 
door,  repeating  the  summons  several  times,  be- 
fore it  was  answered  from  within.  It  was  the 
peculiarity  of  the  knock,  that  caused  it  to  be 
recognized,  for,  when  a  twinkling  candle  showed 
through  the  window,  the  fastenings  were  un- 
barred without  hesitation,  the  door  was  drawn 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  233 

backward  and  a  blushing  maid  stood  before 
them. 

At  first  Jack  was  startled  by  the  belief  that 
the  girl  was  the  same  Mary  from  whose  presence 
he  had  hurried,  but  a  glance  at  her  face  showed 
his  mistake,  though  the  impression  might  have 
been  strengthened  by  the  appearance  of  the 
kitchen,  where  a  glowing  fire  of  hickory  logs 
roared  up  the  big  chimney,  and  everything  wore 
the  same  air  of  neatness. 

While  Fritz  and  the  girl  were  talking  in 
German,  the  youth  walked  into  the  room  and 
sat  down  on  one  of  the  splint-bottomed  chairs. 
Though  he  could  not  understand  a  word  of  the 
conversation,  which  was  rapid  and  in  low  tones, 
he  thought  it  would  be  in  good  taste  for  him  to 
keep  his  back  toward  the  lovers,  and  carefully 
avoid  looking  at  them.  They  talked  for  a  con- 
siderable time  in  low  tones,  and  it  is  natural  to 
believe  they  indulged  in  a  number  of  endear- 
ments. 

In   one   sense,  Jack  was  employed  as  pleas- 


234  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

antly  as  they,  for  the  room  glowed  with  the 
most  delightful  wTarmth.  Seated  in  the  com- 
fortable chair,  thoroughly  tired  out  from  the 
exposure  and  hard  work  of  the  evening,  a  drow- 
siness gradually  overcame  him,  and  with  the 
hum  of  the  lovers'  voices  in  his  ears  like  a 
lullaby,  his  senses  departed  and  he  sank  into  the 
deep,  refreshing  sleep  of  youth  and  health. 

The  nights  were  the  longest  of  the  year,  but 
even  this  long,  tempestuous  and  historical  night 
was  drawing  to  an  end.  It  was  far  along  when 
Jack  made  his  perilous  venture  across  the  Dela- 
ware in  pursuit  of  the  young  Tory,  and  midnight 
was  well  past  at  the  time  he  effected  his  escape 
from  the  dismal  prison,  thanks  to  the  friendly 
help  of  the  Hessian  Fritz,  who  was  much  the 
superior  mentally  and  morally  of  most  of  his 
companions.  It  was  Jack's  manly  truthfulness 
which  gave  the  German  his  first  thrill  of  admi- 
ration, and  when  the  dim  lantern  in  the  prison 
revealed  the  pleasing  countenance  of  the  youth, 
the  soldier  was  attracted  still  more  toward  him. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  235 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  make  this  statement, 
in  view  of  the  incidents  already  recorded. 

Besides  all  that,  every  man  with  a  spark  of 
honor  or  patriotism  in  his  breast  respects  honor 
and  patriotism  in  another.  We  may  be  defeated 
and  overcome  by  a  foe,  but,  if  that  foe  is  de- 
fending his  own  fireside  and  country,  we  hold 
him  in  higher  esteem  therefor.  Benedict  Arnold 
was  considered  valuable  enough  for  the  British 
General  Clinton  to  pay  him  thirty  thousand 
dollars  in  gold  for  his  services,  for  before  the 
purchase,  he  had  proven  himself  to  be  one  of 
the  bravest  officers  who  ever  drew  a  sword  ;  but 
every  man  in  the  British  army,  and  indeed  all 
England,  felt  an  inexpressible  contempt  for  the 
American  who  betrayed  his  country.  The 
reader  does  not  need  to  be  reminded  of  the 
ostracism  to  which  Arnold  was  subjected  in 
London,  nor  of  his  lonely  and  miserable  death. 

Something  of  the  same  sentiment,  though  in  a 
less  degree,  actuated  the  course  of  Fritz.  He 
saw  before  him  two  youths,  one  of  whom  was 


236  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

risking  his  life  for  his  country,  while  the  other 
was  doing  all  he  could  against  it.  It  mattered 
not  that  the  latter  and  the  Hessian  were  allies, 
nor  the  fact  that  the  soldiers  from  Hesse  Cassel 
were  mercenaries  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word, 
since  they  were  hired  by  England  to  help  fight 
her  battles  in  America.  Fritz  didn't  like  such 
allies. 

But  to  return  to  Jack  Marlton  asleep  in  the 
chair.  Fritz  must  have  said  something  pleasant 
about  him  to  his  sweetheart,  whose  name  also 
was  Mary,  for  she  walked  softly  in  front  of  the 
youth,  and  looked  for  a  moment  at  the  hand- 
some ruddy  countenance.  The  head  had  fallen 
to  one  side  on  his  shoulder,  but  he  was  sleeping 
as  soundly  as  if  in  his  bed  at  home. 

Looking  at  him  for  a  minute  only,  Mary 
tripped  lightly  up-stairs,  and  quickly  returned 
with  a  pillow  and  blanket.  These  were  carefully 
adjusted  on  the  floor,  and  then  the  muscular  girl 
raised  him  to  his  feet.  Jack  partly  awoke, 
mumbled  brokenly,  gave  slight  help,  and  then 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  23V 

slumped  helplessly  down.  He  was  so  over- 
come that  it  would  require  a  much  greater  dis- 
turbance than  that  to  awaken  him. 

Mary  folded  the  blanket  over  him,  saw  that 
the  head  rested  comfortably  on  the  pillow,  and 
then  she  went  away,  closing  the  door  behind 
her  as  she  passed  up-stairsagain. 

I  have  said  that  it  needed  a  greater  shock 
than  that  which  was  caused  by  the  incident  just 
described  to  rouse  Jack  Marlton  to  his  full 
senses.  That  shock  came  within  the  ten  min- 
utes following  the  departure  of  Mary,  and  made 
him  leap  to  his  feet,  as  if  awakened  by  the 
"  crack  of  doom." 


238  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


THE  ALARM. 


You  have  been  told  something  about  Abra- 
ham Hunt,  who,  during,  before  and  after  the 
Revolution,  was  the  leading  merchant  in  Tren- 
ton town.  I  well  remember  the  house  in  which 
he  lived  on  the  corner  of  Queen  and  Second 
(now  Warren  and  State)  Streets,  and  have  been 
inside  of  it  many  times.  It  was  of  brick  and 
was  such  a  commodious  and  imposing  structure 
that  it  remained  standing  until  only  a  few  years 
ago,  when,  as  I  have  stated,  it  gave  way  to  the 
present  fine  structure  known  as  Masonic  Hall. 

Hunt  was  wealthy,  fond  of  the  good  things 
of  life  and  inclined  to  luxuries  in  the  way  of 
eating  and  drinking.  His  cellar  was  well  stored 
with  excellent  wines  and  liquors,  and  that  per- 
son counted  himself  fortunate  who  was  invited 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  23$ 

to  enjoy  his  entertainment.  Probably  lie  was 
an  American  in  his  sentiments  and  wished  the 
colonies  well  in  their  struggle  for  independence, 
but  the  old  merchant  was  worldly  wise,  and,  to 
repeat  what  I  have  already  said,  he  did  not 
allow  his  sentiments  to  interfere  with  his  busi- 
ness. 

Nothing  was  more  natural,  therefore,  than 
that  when  Trenton  was  occupied  by  Colonel 
Kail  and  his  one  thousand  five  hundred  Hessians 
he  should  place  himself  on  good  terms  with 
the  military  master  of  the  situation.  Colonel 
Johann  Gr.  Rail  was  about  fifty  years  old  at  the 
time  of  which  I  am  speaking,  and  like  most  of 
his  countrymen,  was  as  fond  of  his  pipe  and 
his  toddy  as  Hunt.  Naturally  the  two  gravi- 
tated together,  and,  when  the  merchant  invited 
the  officer  to  spend  an  evening  at  his  house,  he 
gladly  did  so.  It  was  their  custom,  on  the 
wintry  nights,  when  the  storm  howled  outside, 
to  sit  by  the  table  in  the  rear  room  and  play 
cards  until  well  into  the  small  hours   of  the 


240  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

morning.  A  roaring  fire  on  the  hearth  filled 
the  apartment  with  glowing  warmth,  and,  as 
the  two  faced  each  other  and  played,  the  steam- 
ing toddy  and  pipes  made  their  situation  as  en- 
joyable as  it  could  possibly  be  for  two  such 
cronies. 

On  Christmas  night,  1776,  they  were  thus 
engaged,  with  little  thought  of  what  was  going 
on  outside.  Each  had  taken  several  deep 
draughts  of  the  spiced  rum  whose  fragrant 
fumes  filled  the  room,  and  had  a  long-stemmed 
pipe  in  his  mouth,  which  he  slowly  puffed  as  he 
dealt  the  cards  or  played  his  hand,  pausing  now 
and  then  to  take  a  swallow  or  two  from  the  hot 
mug  at  his  elbow.  At  intervals,  the  colored 
man,  who  was  the  favorite  servant  of  the  mer- 
chant, came  quietly  into  the  room,  stirred  the 
fire,  heaped  on  more  logs  and  made  sure  that  the 
water  in  the  kettle  on  the  crane  over  the  blaze 
was  kept  at  the  right  temperature,  and  that  the 
supply  of  spirits  did  not  run  too  low.  He  had 
performed  the  duty  many  times  before  and  was 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  241 

so  deft  at  it  that  he  attracted  no  notice.  Oc- 
casionally, when  his  master  looked  up  and  spoke, 
he  answered  softly  and  respectfully,  and  in  short 
was  a  model  servant  in  every  respect.  His 
duty  finished  for  the  time,  he  moved  like  a 
shadow  out  of  the  room,  certain  to  return  when 
necessary  without  being  summoned. 

The  couple  had  been  playing  but  a  few  min- 
utes, when  Colonel  Rail  looked  abruptly  toward 
the  servant  and  said  briskly  : 

"  George ! " 

"Yes,  sah,"  he  promptly  replied,  with  a  mil- 
itary salute. 

"  I  vill  see  not  any  ones  to-night ;  don't  forgot 
vat  I  says." 

"  Yes,  sah,"  with  another  military  salute. 

"  Remember,  George,  the  wishes  of  Colonel 
Rail,"  added  the  merchant. 

"  Yes,  sah,"  and  the  servant  passed  noiselessly 
out  of  the  room. 

Colonel  Rail  never  forgot  to  be  considerate 

to  his  host.     Though  a  bitter  partisan  of  King 
16 


242  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

George,  he  did  not  obtrude  his  sentiments  upon 
Hunt.  Inevitably  there  were  references  to  the 
war,  but  the  Hessian  commander  carefully  re- 
frained from  saying  anything  that  could  wound 
the  feelings  of  the  merchant.  The  latter  was 
equally  respectful,  and  whatever  his  thoughts 
might  have  been,  he  never  said  a  word  that 
could  give  umbrage  to  his  guest.  Since  they 
were  equally  fond  of  their  hot  toddy,  their  to- 
bacco and  their  cards,  you  will  understand  that 
two  brothers  could  not  have  gotten  along  more 
smoothly  than  the  couple  on  those  memorable 
nights  a  long  time  ago. 

In  the  corner  of  the  room  ticked  the  tall,  old- 
fashioned  clock,  marking  the  hours  which  slipped 
past  unnoticed  by  either.  Still  George  came 
and  went  like  a  shadow,  and  the  fragrant  punch 
in  the  brown  stone  pitcher  on  the  corner  of  the 
table,  although  the  mugs  were  frequently  filled, 
was  not  allowed  to  get  near  the  bottom. 

When  either  awoke  to  the  fact  that  the  pun- 
gent smoke  from  his  pipe  was  biting  his  tongue, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  9^3 

he  refilled  the  bowl,  relit  it  from  one  of  the  tall 
candles  on  the  table,  sipped  again  from  the 
steaming  mug  and  resumed  his  playing. 

Sometimes  in  recalling  that  nipiit,  I  have 
wondered  as  to  the  name  of  the  game  that  so  in- 
terested the  two  men.  I  have  asked  of  others, 
who  were  familiar  with  the  incident,  but  no  one 


Rail's  Headquarters,  Trenton. 

seemed  to  think  the  matter  of  any  interest.  One 
thing,  however,  is  interesting, — Colonel  Rail 
and  Abraham  Hunt  were  deeply  absorbed  in  it 
and  would  have  been  impatient  of  interruption. 
Both  were  capable  of  hard  drinking.  What 
they  had  already  swallowed  would  have  sent 
almost  any  other  man  to  the  floor,  but  neither 


244  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

showed  any  effect  from  his  indulgence.  When 
the  pipe  of  one  was  extinguished,  and  he  deliber- 
ately refilled  and  relighted  it,  there  was  no  tre- 
mor or  unsteadiness  of  the  hand,  and  every  refer- 
ence to  the  game  under  way  was  intelligent. 
Not  a  point  was  lost  nor  did  either  make  any 
misplay. 

Now  and  then,  the  rattling  sleet  and  the  fu- 
rious gale  made  itself  heard  even  in  that  retired 
nook.  Some  of  the  drops  pattered  down  the 
chimney  and  spat  in  the  embers ;  the  hail 
sounded  like  bird  shot  against  the  windows  ex- 
posed to  its  violence,  and  at  times  it  moaned  as 
if  a  strong  man  were  in  distress.  Through  the 
tempest  sounded  the  shouts  and  occasional  bursts 
of  song  from  the  revellers  on  the  streets  or 
making  merry  in  some  of  the  near-by  resorts. 
Military  discipline  was  greatly  relaxed,  and  the 
sounds  of  revelry  and  roystering,  even  when 
they  reached  the  ears  of  the  Hessian  commander, 
did  not  disturb  him:  His  officers  would  look 
after  the  soldiers,  so  far  as  it  might  be  necessary, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  245 

and,  even  if  tliey  should  be  neglectful  of  their 
duty,  what  did  it  matter  ?  The  shivering  Con- 
tinentals were  in  Pennsylvania,  with  the  impas- 
sable Delaware,  choked  with  ice, rolling  between. 
The  most  that  they  could  do  was  to  huddle  to- 
gether to  keep  themselves  from  freezing  to  death. 

There  was  little  difference  in  the  skill  of  host 
and  guest.  The  merchant  kept  score  with  the 
stub  of  a  pencil  on  a  piece  of  paper,  and  some- 
times he  was  ahead  and  then  fell  behind.  Both 
were  deeply  interested,  and  the  colonel  showed 
considerable  glee  when  he  led  his  opponent  by 
several  points. 

Thus  matters  were  going,  when  both  were 
startled  by  the  ringing  sound  of  the  knocker  on 
the  outer  door.  Rail  looked  up  impatiently  and 
uttered  an  oath  in  German. 

"  I  vill  see  no  ones ! "  he  said  :  "  vy  does  he 
comes  here  I " 

"  Give  the  matter  no  thought,  Colonel,"  re- 
plied Hunt ;  "  my  servant  will  attend  to  the 
caller ;  it  is  your  play." 


2-16  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

It  was  Aaron  Wagstaff,  who,  having  success- 
fully eluded  Jack  Marlton,  had  gone  to  the 
headquarters  of  Colonel  Rail.  The  alert  colored 
man  was  prompt  in  responding. 

"  I  must  see  Colonel  Rail,"  said  the  Tory, 
placing  one  foot  on  the  upper  step,  as  if  sure 
no  objection  would  be  offered. 

"  Sorry,  sah,  but  it  am  onpossible ;  he  gibs 
strict  awdors  dat  nobody  warn't  to  see  him  to- 
night under  no  sarcumstances  howsumeber." 

"  But  this  is  of  the  utmost  importance  ;  "  per- 
sisted Aaron. 

"  Dat  mought  be,  but  nuffin  can't  be  so  'inpor- 
tant  as  dat  de  cunnel  mustn't  be  'starbed  while 
he  am  drinkin'  kyards  and  playin'  his  toddy. 
Ef  I  sh'd  'starb  him,  he'd  bust  my  head  inter 
a  tousand  pieces.  You  doan'  want  dat,  do 
you  ? " 

"  I  shouldn't  feel  very  bad,"  growled  Wag- 
staff,  who  was  fast  losing  his  temper,  "  for  such 
a  fool  as  you  ain't  of  any  use." 

"  I'se  a  mighty  big  use  to  myself  ;  I  sh'll  hev 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  247 

to  do  myself  the  honah  ob  wishin'  you  good 
night,  sah.'7 

The  Tory  became  desperate. 

"  I  say  if  you  let  me  see  the  colonel,  he  will 
thank  you  all  his  life." 

"  Dat  may  be,  but  he'll  bust  my  head  fust ; 
den  what  good  will  his  tanks  do." 

"  Well,  if  I  can't  see  him,  you  must  give  him 
this  letter,"  said  Wagstaif  ;  "  it  must  reach  him 
at  once." 

The  earnestness  of  the  Tory  impressed  the 
African.  Stolid  as  he  was,  he  dimly  felt  that 
there  might  be  something  back  of  all  this  which 
should  be  known  to  the  Hessian  commander, 
despite  the  strict  orders  he  had  given  against 
being  disturbed. 

"  I  'pose  I  kin  hand  him  de  letter,"  he  said, 
accepting  the  note,  "  like  'nough  he'll  jam  his 
sword  frongh  me,  but  I'll  took  de  chances." 

"You  mustn't  forget,"  added  the  Tory  im- 
pressively ;  "  get  it  to  him  right  away ;  you 
don't  know  how  much  depends  on  it," 


24:8  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Aaron  Wagstaff  had  delivered  the  important 
message  written  by  his  father,  warning  Colonel 
Rail  that  General  Washington,  at  the  head  of  a 
formidable  body  of  troops,  was  at  that  moment 
nearing  Trenton  with  the  intention  of  attacking 
him.  The  youth  heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  relief, 
like  one  who  feels  that  a  momentous  duty  has 
been  performed.  Upon  his  arrival  in  town,  he 
was  so  chilled  that  he  went  in  to  the  old  Trenton 
tavern,  and,  amid  the  carousing  soldiers  and 
citizens,  dried  his  clothing  and  warmed  himself 
inside  as  well  as  out.  He  had  to  make  inquiries 
to  learn  where  to  find  Colonel  Rail,  so  that  it  was 
quite  late  when  he  presented  himself  at  the  door 
of  Abraham  Hunt.  The  Tory  had  already  taken 
several  drinks,  and  he  now  wandered  off,  caring 
little  where  he  went,  since  his  responsibility  was 
ended.  He  intended,  however,  to  remain  in 
Trenton  to  witness  the  overthrow  of  General 
Washington  and  his  ragamuffins.  Shortly  after, 
as  has  already  been  related,  he  ran  into  the  hands 
of  Jack  Marlton  and  received  pretty  rough  usage. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  2±9 

George,  the  negro  servant,  unfolded  the  oil- 
skin in  which  the  note  was  wrapped,  and  hold 
ing  it  in  his  hand,  entered  the  room  where  the 
two  men  were  absorbed  with  their  cards  and 
toddy.     Both  looked  up  angrily. 

"  What  is  it,  George  ?  "  asked  his  master. 

"  Countryman  said  he  nius'  see  Kunnel 
Rail." 

"Well,  what  did  you  tell  him  ?  " 

"  Nuffin,  but  I  smote  him  in  de  'lebenth  rib 
and  he  fotched  up  agin  de  house  on  de  oder  side 
ob  de  street,  wid  his  head  stove  in.  Jes'  as  he 
was  fallin'  he  dropped  dis  lub  letter  which  may 
be  for  one  ob  de  gemnien." 

Saluting  and  humbly  bowing,  the  African 
stepped  across  the  floor  and  handed  the  note  to 
his  master,  as  if  uncertain  for  which  gentleman 
it  was  intended.  If  George  had  not  just  uttered 
such  a  tremendous  whopper,  he  might  have  re- 
peated the  words  of  the  messenger  as  to  the  im- 
portance of  the  message,  but  he  was  estopped 
from  that  now. 


250  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Mr.  Hunt  glanced  at  the  superscription  and 
passed  it  to  his  guest. 

"  It  is  for  you,  Colonel." 

The  Hessian  was  angry,  for  he  was  studying 
an  important  play  of  cards  when  thus  inter- 
rupted. He  held  the  pasteboards  stationary  in 
his  left  hand,  impatiently  took  the  folded  paper, 
and  without  glancing  at  the  address,  crumpled 
it  up  and  shoved  it  into  the  side-pocket  of  his 
coat. 

"  I  vil  read  him  ven  dis  game  ish  clone,"  he 
said  ;  "  'tis  your  blay,  Meester  Hunt." 

Immediately  both  concentrated  their  thoughts 
upon  the  contest.  It  was  a  hard  struggle,  and 
each  took  a  couple  of  draughts  of  toddy  before 
it  was  concluded. 

The  merchant  won  by  so  slight  a  margin  that 
the  colonel  was  eager  to  repeat  the  contest, 
and  the  smiling  Hunt  was  agreeable.  Neither 
thought  of  the  letter  that  had  been  thrust  into 
the  officer's  pocket,  and  had  he  done  so,  it  is  not 
likely  that  it  would  have  been  read. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  251 

Still  the  old  clock  ticked,  the  sleet  rattled, 
the  gale  moaned  and  the  occasional  shouts  of 
the  revelers  were  heard.  The  hour  hand  crept 
further  and  further  around  the  face  of  the  clock, 
until  the  long  wintry  night  drew  to  an  end  ;  but 
neither  paid  the  slightest  heed.  They  con- 
tinued to  deal  and  play,  to  smoke  and  drink, 
until  even  such  veterans  as  they  felt  the  effects 
of  the  indulgence,  though  not  to  an  extent  as  to 
interfere  with  their  skill  at  cards, 

Even  George,  the  servant,  succumbed  at  last. 
He  quietly  assumed  a  comfortable  position  in  a 
big  chair  in  the  adjoining  room  within  easy  call 
and,  curling  up,  went  to  sleep.  To  himself  he 
expressed  his  thoughts  without  restraint,  and  he 
became  unconscious. 

"  Dem  blasted  fools  am  gwine  to  play  right 
straight  ahead  for  a  week;  each  onehab  swallered 
fourteen  quarts  ob  punch ;  dey  must  be  holler 
from  de  top  of  dar  heads  to  dar  big  toes,  and 
dey's  drinkin'  yit ;  dey  am  so  drunk  dat  dey  won't 
miss  me  fur  a  few  days  and  I'll  snoze  awhile." 


252  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

The  night  wore  on.  Colonel  Rail  was  slightly- 
ahead  and  was  shuffling  the  cards  and  in  the  act 
of  uttering  a  jest  to  his  host,  who  had  just  set 
down  his  mug,  when  he  stopped  as  abruptly  as 
if  the  tremor  of  an  earthquake  was  felt. 

The  old  soldier  instantly  recognized  the  fear- 
ful sounds,  that  rang  through  the  night,  the 
rattle  of  musketry.  It  was  volley  firing,  re- 
peated again  and  again,  quickly  followed  by  the 
booming  of  cannon  !  It  came  from  the  upper 
part  of  the  town  and  there  could  be  no  mistak- 
ing its  meaning. 

"  Mein  Gott !  "  he  exclaimed,  flinging  down  the 
cards  and  leaping  to  his  feet,  perfectly  sobered 
by  the  startling  occurrence ;  "  we're  attacked  ! " 


"meingott!"  he  exclaimed,  flinging  down  the  cards  and  leaping  to  his 
feet,  "we're  attacked."— Page  252.  The  Boy  Patriot, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  253 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  TURNING  POINT  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 

The  fierce  storm  that  had  raged  during  the 
night  abated  toward  morning,  and  the  faint 
streakings  of  daylight  showed  in  the  east,  as 
General  Greene's  division  of  Continentals  de- 
bouched from  the  Scotch  Road,  about  a  mile 
above  Trenton,  on  the  Pennington  Pike,  and 
hurried  toward  the  town. 

The  advance  guard  was  led  by  Captain  Wil- 
liam Washington,  cousin  of  the  commander-in- 
chief,  and  they  had  gone  but  a  short  distance 
when  they  came  upon  the  Hessian  outposts. 
In  the  dim  light,  the  latter  caught  sight  of  the 
Americans,  fired,  and  the  next  moment  the  patri- 
ots were  upon  them.  A  Hessian  lieutenant  was 
mortally  wounded,  and  dropped  in  the  road  and 


254:  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

lay  dying  as  the  Continentals  ran  by  him  in  hot 
pursuit  of  his  companions,  who  were  fleeing 
toward  the  town.  Among  the  pursuers  was 
Lieutenant  James  Monroe,  then  only  nineteen 
years  old,  who  afterward  became  President  of 
the  United  States. 

The  pickets  fled  in  at  the  top  of  their  speed, 
the  patriots  at  their  heels,  and  the  troops  in  the 
rear  hurrying  after  them,  with  Washington 
close  to  the  front.  At  the  head  of  the  town, 
where  Warren  and  Greene  Streets  unite,  six 
pieces  of  cannon  were  hastily  unlimbered  and, 
under  the  direction  of  Washington  himself, 
pointed  down  Greene  Street,  where  the  Hessians 
were  forming. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Washington  heard 
the  sound  of  musketry  from  the  lower  end  of 
the  town,  in  the  direction  of  the  river.  It  was 
a  welcome  signal  indeed,  for  it  told  that  General 
Sullivan  had  arrived  almost  on  the  appointed 
minute  and  was  attacking  at  that  point.  Thus 
the  Hessians  were  caught  between  two  fires  and 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  255 

the   patriots    pressed    them     with    the    utmost 


vigor. 


In  a  few  minutes,  the  cannon  of  the  Americans 
flashed  out  in  the  early  morning  light,  and, 
as  the  startling  boom  rang  over  the  sleeping 
town,  the  shot  crashed  among  the  enemy  with 
destructive  effect.  The  terrified  inhabitants 
dashed  out  of  their  houses  and,  then  finding 
the  musket  balls  flying  about  their  heads,  they 
scurried  back  to  their  homes  and  timidly  peeped 
out  upon  the  battle. 

A  Miss  Potts  while  running  through  the 
street  felt  a  jar  in  the  coil  of  hair  at  the  back 
of  her  head,  and,  putting  up  her  hand,  found 
that  a  bullet  had  lodged  there.  Where- 
upon  she  stayed  at  home  until  the  firing  was 
over. 

A  little  way  down  the  street  a  party  of 
Hessians  wheeled  three  cannon  into  position 
and  made  ready  to  open  on  the  Americans. 
They  were  certain  to  do  great  harm  unless 
checked. 


256  THE  B0Y  PATRIOT. 

"  Follow  me  !  "  shouted  Lieutenant  Monroe 
(afterward  President  of  the  United  States  and 
then  only  nineteen  years  old),  starting  down  the 
street  on  a  run,  swinging  his  sword  above  his 
head,  and  not  looking  around  to  see  whether 
any  one  accompanied  him.  But  several,  as  dar- 
ing as  their  leader,  were  close  behind.  There  was 
a  brief  struggle  over  the  pieces,  Lieutenant  Mon- 
roe receiving  a  slight  wound,  but  the  cannon 
were  quickly  captured  and  turned  on  the  fleeing 
enemy. 

Colonel  Rail  was  a  brave  man,  and,  knowing 
on  the  instant  what  the  sounds  meant,  he 
caught  up  his  hat  and  cloak,  dashed  out  of  the 
house  of  Abraham  Hunt,  and  flourishing  his 
sword,  and  shouting  his  commands  in  a  clear, 
ringing  voice  did  his  utmost  to  stay  the  panic 
and  bring  order  out  of  the  chaos. 

It  was  an  impossible  task,  for  no  troops  could 
have  been  caught  at  greater  disadvantage.  His 
officers  did  all  they  could  to  rally  the  men,  and 
most    of  the    soldiers   displayed   commendable 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  257 

bravery  ;  but  they  knew  they  were  attacked  in 
front  and  rear  ;  the  Continentals  were  pounding 
them  not  only  with  their  own  artillery  but  with 
the  pieces  they  had  captured.  Moreover,  the 
Americans  displayed  the  finest  discipline,  firing 
in  regular  platoons  and  advancing  steadily 
against  them.  It  was  out  of  their  power  to 
make  an  effectual  stand  and  they  fell  back, 
breaking  into  a  panic,  and  occasionally  rallying 
under  the  appeals  of  their  officers,  and  inspired 
by  the  example  of  Colonel  Rail,  who  plunged 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fight  and  recklessly 
exposed  himself  to  the  greatest  danger. 

Suddenly  the  shouting  of  the  Hessian  com- 
mander ceased,  and  he  sank  to  the  ground.  He 
was  at  that  moment  near  an  apple  orchard  which 
stood  at  the  eastern  end  of  State  Street,  and  the 
officers  who  ran  forward  to  his  help  saw  that  he 
was  badly  wounded.  He  insisted  upon  being 
raised  to  his  feet,  and  he  was  gently  lifted, 
though   his  white   face  and  contracted  brows 

showed  he  was  suffering  great  pain. 
*7 


258  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

All  this  time,  the  cannon  were  thundering 
and  the  musketry  rattling,  with  fierce  charging 
back  and  forth  and  fighting  going  on  in  every 
direction.  A  large  force  of  Hessians  started  to 
flee  in  the  direction  of  Princeton,  but  found 
themselves  confronted  by  Hand's  riflemen,  who 
were  about  to  open  fire,  when  the  fugitives 
threw  down  their  arms  and  surrendered. 

Meanwhile,  Sullivan  was  pressing  matters 
from  the  riverside.  More  than  a  hundred 
troops  and  yagers  dashed  over  the  Assunpink 
bridge  and  slipped  away  in  the  direction  of 
Bordentown.  Before  the  remainder  could  fol- 
low them,  they  were  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  and 
they,  too,  surrendered. 

Colonel  Ball  saw  that  it  was  all  up.  With  a 
sergeant  on  either  side,  and  leaning  heavily 
upon  each,  he  painfully  made  his  way  to  where 
Washington  was  seated  on  his  horse  and  handed 
his  sword  to  him. 

"  I  beg  your  excellency  to  see  that  my  men 
are  kindly  treated,"  he  said,  turning   his  pale 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  259 

face  upward  to  the  benignant  countenance  of 
Washington, 

"  I  assure  you,  sir,  they  shall  receive  honor- 
able treatment,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  I  am  very 
sorry  to  see  you  in  this  condition." 

"  It  is  the  fate  of  war  ;  I  have  no  complaint 
to  make." 

Even  in  his  extremity,  he  did  not  forget  his 
courtesy.  Resting  for  one  moment  on  his  left 
arm,  he  raised  the  right  and  saluted  Washing- 
ton, who  returned  the  salutation  and  looked 
sympathetically  down  upon  him.  By  that  time, 
the  colonel  was  unable  to  walk,  and  was  fully 
supported  by  the  sergeants  until  a  litter  was 
brought,  upon  which  he  was  placed  and  ten- 
derly carried  to  his  headquarters,  which  were  in 
a  building  standing  on  the  present  site  of  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  Church  on  Warren  Street, 
There  he  was  laid  upon  a  bed  and  a  surgeon 
summoned. 

Lying  thus,  he  recalled  the  note  that  had  been 
brought  to  him  some  hours  before,  when  play- 


260  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

ing  cards  with  Abraham  Hunt.  He  asked  one 
of  his  attendants  to  take  it  from  the  pocket  of 
his  coat  and  hand  it  to  him.  Slowly  and  pain- 
fully  he  unfolded  the  paper  and  read  the  pen- 
ciled words.  Then  he  refolded  and  passed  it 
to  the  attendant. 

"  Ah,"  said  he  mournfully,  "  if  I  had  read  that 
this  could  not  have  happened." 

When  the  surgeon  arrived  shortly  afterward, 
he  made  an  examination  of  the  wound  in  the 
breast  of  the  officer  and  told  him  it  was  mortal. 
"  Tis  well,"  he  replied ;  "  I  shall  die  the  death  of 
a  soldier,  though  it  is  one  who  forgot  his  duty." 

Some  hours  later,  Colonel  Rail  was  informed 
that  General  Washington  had  called  to  offer  his 
sympathy  and  was  waiting  outside  the  door. 
The  face  of  the  stricken  man  lighted  up  and  he 
ordered  that  the  visitor  be  admitted.  The  next 
moment,  the  door  was  gently  opened,  and  the 
tall,  commanding  figure  of  Washington,  clad  in 
full  uniform  and  with  his  hat  in  his  hand,  came 
forward,  his  face  expressive  of  tender  sympathy 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  261 

and  sorrow.  Walking  slowly  across  the  floor, 
and  stepping  as  lightly  as  he  could,  he  paused  at 
the  "bedside,  not  heeding  the  chair  the  attendant 
had  placed  for  him. 

Colonel  Rail,  his  Avan  face  illumined  by  a  faint 
smile,  looked  up  and  feebly  extended  his  hand. 

"  I  thank  you  for  this,"  he  said  in  broken 
English ;  "  it  is  kind  of  you." 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  deeply  I  feel  for  you," 
said  Washington  in  a  tremulous  yoice  ;  "  would 
that  you  had  been  spared." 

"  That  could  not  be  and  I  am  glad  that  your 
Excellency  is  unharmed." 

"  Proyidence  was  kinder  to  me  than  to  you  ; 
if  there  is  anything  I  can  do  to  add  to  your 
comfort,  I  pray  you  will  command  me." 

"  Nothing  could  surpass  your  kindness  ;  if  I 
think  of  anything,  be  assured  I  shall  call  upon 
you,  but  I  know  of  nothing." 

Washington  saw  he  would  only  add  to  the 
suffering  of  the  Hessian  by  staying  longer.  He 
again  took  his  hand  in  his  own,  and  the  eyes  of 


262  THE  B0Y  PATRIOT. 

the  American  filled   with  tears  as  lie   warmly 

pressed  the  feverish  palm. 

"  Good-by,  my  dear  sir." 

"  Good-by,"  replied  Colonel  Rail,  whose  voice 
choked,  as  he  returned  the  warm  pressure  and 
looked  up  into  the  face  of  the  great  man,  who 
took  his  departure  without  another  word. 

A  few  hours  later,  Colonel  Rail  breathed  his 
last.  His  remains  were  deposited  in  the  bury- 
iug-ground  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  on 
State  Street,  where  they  remained  for  more  than 
half  a  century,  when  they  and  those  of  several 
other  officers  slain  in  the  battle  were  removed 
to  another  part  of  the  same  grounds. 

Since  the  battle  of  Trenton  is  justly  regarded 
as  the  turning-point  of  the  Revolution,  it  seems 
strange  when  we  come  to  examine  the  statistics 
and  find  that,  on  the  side  of  the  Americans,  only 
four  were  wounded  and  two  killed,  and  the 
deaths  of  the  latter  being  regarded  by  many  as 
due  to  the  extreme  cold,  rather  than  to  the 
bullets  of  the  enemy. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  203 

Of  the  Hessians  about  twenty  were  killed 
and  four  times  as  many  wounded.  In  addition, 
there  were  nine  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners,  six 
guns  and  a  large  number  of  small  arms  captured. 
The  situation  of  Washington  was  critical,  for 
Cornwallis,  with  a  much  superior  force,  was  at 
Princeton,  only  ten  miles  distant,  so  near  indeed 
that  he  must  have  heard  the  sounds  of  the 
firing  and  would  soon  arrive  in  the  town.  It 
would  not  do  to  remain,  and  gathering  his  pris- 
oners and  material,  Washington,  later  in  the 
day,  crossed  the  Delaware  again  into  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  could  feel  safe  for  the  time,  for 
all  the  boats  on  the  river,  for  a  long  distance  up 
and  down  stream,  were  on  his  bank.  Count 
Donop  at  Burlington  soon  received  news  of  the 
reverse  and  abandoned  South  Jersey.  Corn- 
wallis sent  a  number  of  horsemen  toward  Tren- 
ton to  reconnoiter,  but,  discovering  nothing  of 
the  Americans,  they  returned  to  Cornwallis, 
who  still  occupied  Princeton, 


264:  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


ON    THE    FIRING    LINE. 


The  same  startling  sounds  that  sent  Colonel 
Rail  flying  out  of  the  house  of  Abraham  Hunt 
in  the  misty  light  of  December  26, 1776,  roused 
Jack  Marl  ton  from  his  slumber  in  the  rear  room 
of  the  home  where  he  had  found  refuge  from 
the  cold  and  storm. 

He  sprang  from  the  blanket  upon  which  he 
had  been  sleeping  as  he  recalled  his  situation. 
He  did  not  wait  for  the  coming  of  Mary,  who 
had  befriended  him,  nor  for  any  member  of  the 
family.  He  hastily  unbarred  the  door,  hurried 
out  into  the  yard,  and  around  to  the  front,  which, 
it  will  be  remembered,  faced  the  river. 

He  noticed  the  almost  complete  cessation  of 
the  storm,  though  it  was  still  bitterly  cold.  His 
clothing  was  dry  and  he  was  in  a  state  of  excite- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  265 

merit  such  as  lie  had  never  known  before.  The 
battle  of  Trenton  was  on,  and  he  wondered, 
with  a  rapidly  beating  heart,  how  it  was  going 
to  terminate. 

Ah,  what  would  he  not  have  given  for  his 
rifle  that  he  might  take  part  in  the  struggle  ? 
How  he  longed  to  strike  a  blow  for  his  country  ! 

He  did  not  dream  for  a  moment  that  the  mes- 
sage of  Aaron  Wagstaff  had  failed.  He  was 
morally  certain  it  had  reached  Colonel  Kail,  and 
equally  certain  that  the  Hessians  had  taken 
every  precaution  against  surprise.  Such  being 
the  case,  the  patriots  had  need  of  every  arm  to 
help  in  their  defense. 

Jack  had  reached  the  river  road  when  he  sud- 
denly leaped  several  feet  in  air,  with  a  gasp  of 
terror.  It  seemed  as  if  a  volcano  exploded  be- 
neath his  feet  and  lifted  him  from  the  ground. 
He  looked  behind  him.  The  street  was  full  of 
soldiers,  a  platoon  of  which  had  just  fired  a 
volley  over  his  head.  Seeing  his  perilous  situa- 
tion, he  dashed  to  the  side  of  the  street  and  close 


266  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

against  the  nearest  house,  from  which  the  terri- 
fied inmates  were  peeping  forth. 

He  saw  a  number  of  the  soldiers  grinning  at 
him,  for  they  understood  the  panic  into  which 
he  had  been  thrown.  An  officer  waved  his 
sword  and  motioned  for  him  to  keep  out  of  the 
way. 

"  No  need  of  telling  me  that,'1  muttered  the 
youth ;  "  I'd  never  got  in  your  way  if  I  had 
known  you  were  right  behind  me.  Thank  the 
Lord  ! " 

This  exclamation  was  caused  by  his  recogni- 
tion of  the  tattered  uniforms  of  the  soldiers. 
They  were  Continentals,  being  in  fact  the  troops 
of  General  Sullivan,  who,  as  you  will  recall,  had 
reached  Trenton  over  the  river  road,  and  were 
pushing  vigorously  through  First  Street,  while 
the  distant  rattle  of  musketry,  quickly  accom- 
panied by  the  booming  of  cannon  showed  that 
Washington  was  pressing  things  with  equal 
vigor  from  the  Pennington  pike. 

Jack  had  his  eyes  on  the  patriots  who  were 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  267 

advancing  fast,  and  almost  abreast  of.  him,  still 
firing  when  scattering  replies  came  from  further 
down  the  street.  Glancing  thither,  he  descried 
twenty  or  more  Hessians  firing  at  the  Americans 
and  reloading  as  they  ran  before  them. 

The  sight  so  thrilled  Jack  that,  forgetful  of 
the  danger,  he  dashed  out  from  the  house  where 
he  had  been  shrinking,  and  with  a  shout  started 
at  full  speed  after  the  fleeing  enemy,  forgetful 
that  he  had  no  weapon,  and  that  the  worst  mis- 
fortune that  could  come  to  him  was  to  overtake 
the  Hessians. 

It  was  not  far  to  where  First  Street  crossed 
Queen,  which  I  need  not  remind  you  was  one  of 
the  main  streets  of  Trenton,  leading  north  to 
the  head  of  the  town,  where  Washington  was 
driving  the  Hessians  before  him.  Upon  reach- 
ing the  junction,  the  enemy  in  front  of  Sullivan's 
men,  instead  of  continuing  on  to  King  Street 
(running  parallel  to  Queen),  turned  and  fled  up 
Queen.  There  were  more  than  a  score,  without 
any  formation,  but  loading  and  firing  at  will. 


268  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

At  the  moment  of  turning  the  corner,  the  Amer- 
icans let  fly  with  a  volley,  and  Jack  saw  two  of 
the  Hessians  drop  to  the  ground,  where  they 
lay  so  motionless  that  it  was  certain  both  were 
killed.  Previous  to  this,  two  others  had  been 
struck,  but  they  limped  out  of  sight  into  the 
houses  along  the  street. 

It  will  be  noted  that  Jack  was  between  the 
two  fires,  and  in  some  danger  from  both,  but 
being  at  the  side  of  instead  of  the  middle  of  the 
street,  the  peril  was  mainly  from  ill-directed 
shots.  That  this,  however,  was  real  he  learned 
by  the  nipping  of  his  coat-sleeve,  and  the  whis- 
tling of  a  bullet  which  grazed  his  elbow,  with- 
out inflicting  any  injury. 

But  he  was  in  the  flush  of  battle,  and  carried 
away  by  the  delirious  excitement  of  the  occa- 
sion. The  sight  of  the  two  Hessians  lying  at 
full  length  at  the  junction  of  the  streets  sug- 
gested to  him  a  method  by  which  he  could 
secure  the  weapon  he  longed  to  grasp.  Leaping 
from  the  unpaved  sidewalk,  he  ran  at  full  speed, 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  269 

keeping  just  in  front  of  the  soldiers,  who  were 
advancing  on  the  double  quick.  A  lieutenant 
angrily  shouted  to  him  to  get  out  of  the  way, 
but  heedless  of  the  command,  the  disobedience 
of  which  threatened  serious  consequences,  Jack 
did  not  pause  until  he  reached  the  nearest 
body.  In  falling,  the  soldier  had  allowed  his 
musket  to  slip  from  his  grasp  and  it  lay  several 
feet  from  him. 

Jack  picked  it  up  and  noticed  that  it  was  un- 
loaded, the  man  having  discharged  it  almost  in 
the  same  instant  he  was  hit.  The  powder-horn 
and  bullet-pouch  were  still  suspended  around 
his  neck,  and  spurred  by  the  preciousness  of  the 
seconds,  the  young  patriot  placed  his  hand  un- 
der the  head  of  the  poor  fellow,  raised  it  slightly 
and  slipped  the  cords  over  from  the  neck,  not 
forgetting  the  pouch,  which  contained  the  bits 
of  linen  used  to  wrap  about  the  bullets.  Jack 
was  so  hurried  and  absorbed  in  his  work  that 
he  did  not  look  into  the  face  of  the  Hessian, 
until  he  had  secured  the  articles  about  his  own 


270  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

neck.  Then,  as  he  glanced  at  the  expressionless 
countenance,  a  great  shock  came  to  him. 

The  dead  Hessian  was  "  Jim,"  the  enemy 
who  had  acted  as  guard  over  him  when  he  was 
first  placed  in  the  prison-house,  who  would  have 
shot  him  but  for  the  timely  arrival  of  Fritz,  and 
who  left  the  side  of  his  sweetheart  to  commit 
the  dreadful  crime. 

There  was  no  feeling  of  exultation  in  the 
heart  of  Jack  Marlton  at  what  he  saw.  Rather 
he  was  awed,  and  felt  a  throb  of  pity  for  the 
fellow  who  had  thus  been  cut  down,  while  in 
the  performance  of  what  he  conceived  to  be  his 
duty. 

But  there  was  no  time  for  gloomy  meditation, 
for  everything  was  going  with  a  rush.  He 
devoted  a  minute  or  two  to  reloading  the 
weapon  that  only  a  few  minutes  before  was  in 
the  grasp  of  his  deadliest  enemy,  and  by  the 
time  it  was  finished,  the  head  of  Sullivan's  force 
was  well  up  the  hill,  leading  from  First  to 
Second  Street.     Jack   started   on   a  run   after 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  271 

them,  for  he  wished  above  all  things  to  join  the 
"  firing  line.1' 

At  Second  Street  there  was  some  confusion. 
The  discovery  was  made  that  a  body  of  Hes- 
sians were  running  down  King  Street  toward  the 
Assunpink  bridge,  with  a  view  of  reaching  the 
White  Horse  road  and  escaping  by  way  of  Bor- 
dentown.  Sullivan,  who  was  cheering  his  men 
and  shouting  louder  than  any  of  his  officers, 
discovered  it  and  detached  a  considerable  body, 
who  set  out  on  the  double  quick  to  head  off  the 
fugitives  before  they  could  reach  the  bridge. 
The  attempt  was  only  partly  successful,  more 
than  a  hundred,  as  already  stated,  outspeeding 
their  pursuers   and  getting  safely  out  of  town. 

By  this  time,  the  battle  was  at  its  height,  the 
most  effective  part  being  performed  by  Greene's 
division,  under  the  immediate  eye  of  Washing- 
ton. Uncertain  what  to  do,  Jack  Marl  ton  did 
the  best,  if  not  the  only,  thing  possible.  He 
ran  out  from  the  side  of  the  street  and  took  his 
place   in   the  ranks  of  the   Continentals,  who 


272  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

continued  to  load  and  fire,  while  rapidly  advanc- 
ing. Many  of  their  shots  were  wild,  and  often 
>the  youth  was  unable  to  see  what  the  men  were 
firing  at  ;  but,  judging  from  their  cheering  he 
believed  they  must  be  doing  effective  work. 

No  attention  was  paid  to  the  lad  when  he 
took  his  place  at  the  end  of  one  of  the  platoons, 
for  every  man  was  absorbed  in  his  duty,  but, 
before  Jack  suspected,  his  platoon  was  projected 
to  the  front,  by  the  dissolving  and  breaking 
apart  of  the  one  in  advance,  as  the  halves 
returned  to  the  rear. 

The  commands  were  so  simple  that  Jack  had 
no  trouble  in  understanding  them  as  well  as  the 
veterans  at  his  side. 

"  Ready — aim — -fire  !  " 

And  the  musket  of  the  youth  flamed  out  with 
the  others,  though  he  had  not  the  slightest  idea 
where  his  bullet  went.  But  he  cheered  as  they 
did,  and  hoped  he  had  mowed  down  half  a 
dozen  of  the  enemy.  In  a  twinkling,  he  had 
run  to  the  rear  of  his  company,  and,  while  keep- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  273 

ing  his  position  in  the  Hue,  he  devoted  his  skill 
to  reloading  his  musket. 

This  respite  gave  the  men  a  chance  to  speak 
to  one  another  and  notice  things  around  them. 
For  the  first  time,  the  big  fellow  on  Jack's  right 
seemed  to  see  him. 

"You  made  a  good  shot,  younker,  that  time," 
he  said  with  a  grin. 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  "  asked  the  delighted  lad  ; 
"  I  aimed  the  best  I  could." 

"  What  did  you  aim  at  ?  " 

"  Well,  nothing  in  particular." 

"  Well,  sonny,  that's  what  you  hit ;  I  don't 
think  your  bullet  came  within  a  third  of  a  mile 
of  striking  anybody." 

"  Why  what  was  the  matter  ?  I  aimed  like 
the  rest  of  you." 

"  Xot  exactly,  for  you  p'inted  your  gun  at  the 
sky ;  greenhorns  like  you  always  shoot  too  high  ; 
you  must  aim  at  the  feet  of  the  Hessians." 

u  I  don't  want  to  wound  them  in  their  feet." 

"  Well,   you   won't ;    if   you    hit  'em  at  all, 
18 


274  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

which  ain't  likely,  you'll  do  so  in  the  head. 
Mind  what  I  tell  you,  for  it  will  soon  be  our 
turn  again." 

Sooner  than  he  anticipated,  but  not  soon 
enough  to  satisfy  the  impatient  Jack,  his  platoon 
bulged  out  on  the  front,  and  fired  with  the  same 
precision  and  close  obedience  to  commands  as 
before.  Remembering  the  caution  of  his  big 
friend,  the  boy  aimed  low  at  a  group  of  the 
enemy,  who  had  made  a  temporary  halt  hardly 
a  hundred  yards  distant,  and  were  standing  in 
a  hot  fire  at  the  Americans. 

His  friend  did  not  forget  him  in  the  excite- 
ment of  the  moment.  He  was  able  to  take  note 
of  his  conduct  and  as  they  came  together  again  at 
the  rear,  he  took  the  occasion  to  compliment  him. 

"  You  did  well  that  time ;  you'll  make  a  good 
soldier  when  you've  gained  a  little  more  steadi- 


ness." 


"  That's  what  I  want  to  be." 
"  You're  made  of  the  right  stuff.     Load  up 
again  and  keep  cool." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  275 

Jack  laughed  at  himself,  for  he  had  forgotten 
all  about  ramming  another  bullet  down  the 
barrel  of  his  musket  and  pouring  the  powder 
into  the  pan.     He  made  haste  to  do  his  duty. 

By  this  time,  it  was  fairly  light.  The  whole 
town  had  learned  very  quickly  of  the  fight  that 
was  going  on  in  the  streets.  There  had  been  a 
hurried  running  to  and  fro.  Many  who  were 
eager  to  get  out-of-doors,  were  ten  times  more 
eager  to  get  back  again,  and  made  a  ludicrous 
scramble  to  do  so,  for  the  bullets  were  flying  in 
all  directions  and  the  wonder  is  that  more  were 
not  hit.  The  twigs  were  snipped  off  the  naked 
trees,  and  most  of  the  branches  being  coated 
with  ice,  the  fragments  flew  in  showers.  The 
splintering  of  window-panes  warned  the  inmates 
peeping  out  of  their  danger,  and  a  scream  now 
and  then  from  a  woman  or  child  made  it  seem 
that  some  of  them  had  been  hit,  but  happily 
such  was  not  the  case. 

Sullivan's  troops  kept  their  formation  well, 
but  they  had  gone  only  a  short   distance   along 


276  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Second  Street,  when  the  lieutenant  suddenly 
gave  orders  to  his  men  to  cease  firing.  It  was 
just  at  the  moment  that  Jack  Marlton's  platoon 
came  to  the  front,  and  he  and  the  rest  were 
listening  for  the  order  to  make  ready. 

"  What's  the  meaning  of  that  ? "  asked  the 
wondering  lad. 

Instead  of  replying,  his  new  friend,  who,  like 
his  companions,  was  gazing  intently  down  the 
street,  suddenly  threw  his  hat  in  air,  broke 
into  frenzied  cheering,  and  fairly  danced  with 
joy.  Following  the  direction  of  his  gaze,  Jack 
saw  a  large  body  of  Hessians  in  the  street,  and 
noticed  that  they  too  had  stopped  'firing.  Be- 
yond them  could  be  distinguished  the  gleam  of 
bayonets,  though  the  youth  was  not  tall  enough 
to  see  clearly.  He  noticed,  however,  that  wild 
cheering  came  from  the  locality  of  those  shining 
bayonets,  though  the  Hessians  between  them 
and  Sullivan's  command  remained  mute. 

Suddenly  the  big  soldier  seemed  to  become 
aware  of  Jack's  presence  at  his  side.     Ceasing 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  277 

his  own  boisterous  outburst,  he  turned  and 
demanded : 

u  Younker,  why  don't  you  yell  ? " 

u  What  for  ?  " 

"  What  for  !  Why  don't  you  see  the  whole 
gang  have  surrendered  ?  " 

"  Is  that  so  ?     Then  I  will  yell." 

And  Jack  let  out  a  whoop  that  rose  above  the 
hoarse  shouts  around  him.  He  started  to  swing 
his  hat,  but  his  big  friend  saved  him  the  trouble 
by  snatching  it  from  his  head  and  flinging  it 
forty  feet  up  in  air.  The  laughing  Jack 
ran  forward  and  caught  it  as  it  came  down, 
and  then  swung  and  cheered  to  his  heart's  con- 
tent. 

As  a  soldier,  the  lad  ought  to  have  kept  his 
place  in  the  ranks,  like  those  with  whom  he  had 
been  associated  for  a  brief  while,  but  his  ex- 
uberant feelings  would  not  permit.  Not  being 
regularly  enrolled,  no  notice  was  taken  of  him, 
when  he  slipped  to  the  sidewalk,  which  was  be- 
ginning to  be  crowded  with  spectators,  quick  to 


£78  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

discover  that  all  danger  was  over  and  the   Hes- 
sians prisoners. 

Jack  worked  his  way  forward  through  the  fast 
increasing  swarm,  and  had  not  gone  far  when  he 
caught  sight  of  the  majestic  figure  of  Washing- 
ton on  his  white  horse,  with  his  staff  around 
him.  Then  he  noticed  the  slowly  moving  form 
of  the  Hessian  commander,  supported  on  either 
side  by  a  sergeant,  painfully  making  his  way  to 
where  the  American  commander  was  waiting 
to  receive  his  sword.  Jack  had  never  seen  the 
smooth,  white-faced  Colonel  Rail  before,  but  he 
knew  him  on  the  instant,  and  before  his  name 
was  repeated  by  a  score  of  sympathizing  spec- 
tators. 

There  was  a  profound  hush  while  the  touching 
ceremony  was  under  way,  the  cheering  being 
suppressed  out  of  respect  for  the  wounded 
officer.  The  sight  of  him  being  carried  past  on 
a  litter,  with  others  here  and  there  similarly 
cared  for,  while  there  was  more  than  one  bloody 
figure  with  crimsoned  face  limping  about,  gave 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  279 

all  a  vivid  picture  of  the  horrors  of  war,  though, 
in  killed  and  wounded,  the  battle  of  Trentoa 
can  bear  no  comparison  with  scores  and  hun- 
dreds of  conflicts  that  have  since  taken  place  on 
our  soil. 


280  THE  B0Y  PATKlui 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


AFTER    THE    BATTLE. 


Nevertheless,  the  battle  of  Trenton  marked 
the  "joyful  turning  of  the  tide."  It  was  the 
one  thing  needed  to  revive  the  drooping  spirits 
of  the  country,  and  nothing  could  have  occurred 
to  do  it  more  effectually.  To  quote  the  words 
I  have  used  elsewhere  it  replaced  despair  with 
hope,  and  though  hardship,  sorrow  and  reverses 
were  yet  in  store,  the  hand  on  the  dial  was  never 
again  turned  backward. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  situation  of  Washing- 
ton was  dangerous  in  the  extreme,  for  Cornwallis 
was  within  striking  distance,  with  his  overwhelm- 
ing force  of  well-disciplined  troops,  and  was 
sure  to  set  out  for  Trenton,  as  soon  as  he  learned 
of  the  reverse.     Let  me  at  this  point  anticipate 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  281 

events  to  a  brief  extent.  On  the  same  afternoon, 
as  has  been  stated,  Washington  recrossed  the 
Delaware  into  Pennsylvania  with  his  prisoners 
and  captured  material.  Waiting  three  days  on 
the  western  shore,  he  once  more  returned  to 
Trenton.  About  the  same  time,  Cadwalader 
brought  one  thousand  eight  hundred  Pennsyl- 
vania militia  over  the  river  from  Bristol,  and 
the  same  number  under  General  Mifflin  joined 
Washington  at  Trenton.  The  army  itself  was 
so  inspirited  by  the  brilliant  success  that  one 
thousand  four  hundred  of  the  New  England 
troops,  whose  terms  of  enlistment  were  about 
to  expire,  gladly  agreed  to  remain  six  weeks 
longer.  Thus  the  Continental  army  was  in- 
creased to  six  thousand  effective  men. 

Robert  Morris,  the  patriotic  Philadelphian 
who  did  so  much  for  the  cause  of  American  in- 
dependence, knew  how  badly  the  soldiers  were 
in  need  of  money,  their  pay  being  many  months 
behindhand  and  set  to  work  with  so  much  vigor 
that  in  a  brief   while  he  collected  $50,000  in 


2S2  THE  BOY  PATRIOT, 

specie,  all  of  which  was  sent  to  the  commander- 
in-chief,  and  by  him  apportioned  among  the  men' 
who  were  delighted  and  made  content. 

Returning  to  the  incidents  immediately  fol- 
lowing the  victory  of  Trenton,  you  will  re- 
member that  Jack  Marlton,  after  having  served 
bravely  for  a  brief  while  in  the  ranks,  fell  out 
again,  when  he  discovered  there  was  no  further 
need  of  his  services.  It  seemed  as  if  in  the 
course  of  half  an  hour  the  whole  town  were  on 
the  streets.  Now  that  the  firing  had  ceased, 
men,  women,  and  children  were  everywhere,  and 
it  required  energetic  measures  on  the  part  of  the 
American  troops  to  keep  them  from  interfering 
with  their  movements.  Trenton,  like  all  other 
places  from  New  England  to  the  South,  was 
pestered  by  Tories  and  many  of  them  had  been 
on  the  best  of  terms  with  the  Hessians  during 
their  occupancy  of  the  town.  They  took  good 
care,  however,  now  that  the  situation  was  so 
changed  to  make  it  appear  that  they  had  been 
only  shamming  and  were  at  heart  as  sound  pa- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  283 

triots  as  their  neighbors,  who  never  feared  to 
avow  their  sentiments. 

Jack  Marlton  drifted  with  a  crowd  that 
swarmed  toward  the  prisoners,  numbering 
almost  a  thousand,  who  were  grouped  together 
on  First  Street,  unarmed  and  under  a  strong 
guard.  While  glancing  from  one  stolid  face  to 
another,  he  was  startled  by  the  act  of  one  of  the 
Hessians  who  raised  his  hand  in  a  military 
salute,  while  his  broad  face  widened  into  a  grin. 
A  second  glance  showed  that  his  salutation  was 
meant  for  Jack  himself,  who,  with  a  peculiar 
thrill,  recognized  his  old  friend  Fritz. 

In  the  hurly-burly  our  hero  had  forgotten  all 
about  him  until  this  moment,  when  he  saw  him 
in  the  ranks  among  his  fellow- unfortunates. 
Fritz,  however,  did  not  seem  to  be  cast  clown 
by  his  situation,  and  still  grinned  and  repeated 
the  salute.  Jack  returned  it,  smiled  and  started 
to  move  toward  him,  when  one  of  the  guards 
sternly  ordered  him  back.  The  youth  was  about 
to  protest,  but  reflected  that  it  would  be  useless 


284  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

and  he  returned  to  the  sidewalk.     Above  the 

noise  and  excitement,  he  shouted  : 

"  I  won't  forget  you,  Fritz." 

And  then  he  made  a  painful  discovery. 
Fritz's  left  arm  was  hansrins:  at  his  side  and  the 
coat-sleeve  was  crimsoned  from  the  shoulder  to 
the  wrist,  and  the  hand  covered  with  blood. 
The  fellow  was  wounded. 

Distressed  and  troubled,  Jack  Marlton  with- 
drew from  the  crowd,  passed  on  to  Queen  Street, 
debating  with  himself  what  he  could  do  to 
befriend  Fritz,  who  had  shown  him  so  much 
kindness.  He  was  walking  slowly  and  had 
passed  the  old  home  of  Abraham  Hunt,  when 
the  sound  of  a  galloping  horse  caused  him  to 
look  up. 

The  horseman  had  come  from  behind  him, 
and  as  Jack  turned  his  head,  he  reined  up  at 
his  side  with  the  cheery  salutation : 

"  How  do  you  do,  my  young  friend  ? " 

To  the  youth's  amazement  he  recognized  the 
speaker  as  General  Washington,  avIio,  identify- 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  285 

ing  him  from  the  rear,  approached  and  called  to 
him.  Jack  was  so  overcome  that  he  stared 
without  speaking,  and  forgot  even  to  salute  the 
great  man. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  unharmed," 
added  Washington ;  "  my  headquarters  are 
just  across  the  street ;  I  am  very  busy,  but  I 
should  like  to  have  a  little  talk  with  you  ;  will 
you  oblige  me  by  following  ?  " 

uYes,  sir." 

Washington  pricked  the  flank  of  his  steed 
with  his  spur,  and,  cantering  diagonally  to  the 
other  side,  dismounted,  turning  over  his  horse 
to  an  orderly,  while  he  hurriedly  entered  the 
little  stone  dwelling,  which  remained  standing 
for  many  years  afterward,  and  was  known  by 
the  name  of  "  Washington's  headquarters." 

The  great  man  was  returning  from  his  call 
upon  the  dying  Colonel  Rail  at  the  old  build- 
ing on  Queen  Street.  The  brief  respite  given 
to  Jack  allowed  him  to  pull  himself  together, 
so  that  when  he  appeared  before  the  guard  in 


286  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

front  of  the  building,  and  said  lie  came  at  the 
request  of  the  commander  and  was  admitted,  he 
*  was  self-possessed  and  fully  himself. 

He  was  ushered  into  the  small,  low-ceilinged 
room  at  the  front  of  the  house,  where  every- 
thing; seemed  to  be  in  inextricable  confusion. 
Several  officers  were  seated  about  the  apartment, 
the  little  stand  in  the  middle  was  littered  with 
papers,  men  were  continually  coming  and  go- 
ing, some  dashing  in  and  out,  and  Generals  St. 
Clair,  Greene,  and  Sullivan  exchanged  a  few 
words  with  Washington,  sent  out  orders,  and 
then  hurried  away  themselves,  Greene  returning 
in  a  few  minutes,  while  the  bustle  and  confusion 
seemed  never  to  diminish  for  a  moment. 

As  Jack,  somewhat  abashed,  entered  this 
place,  Washington  took  two  or  three  of  his 
giant  strides  toward  him  and  grasped  his  hand. 
His  manner  was  dignified  but  cordial,  and,  still 
holding  the  hand  of  the  youth  in  his  own,  he 
led  him  to  the  further  side  of  the  room,  where 
neither  sat  down,  but  stood  and  talked  in  tones 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  2$Y 

that  others  might  have  heard  but  to  which  they 
paid  no  attention. 

"Jack,"  said  Washington,  with  a  significant 
smile,  "  I  had  to  get  on  the  best  I  could  last 
night  without  your  help  as  guide." 

"  O  General,  I  have  been  so  anxious  to  see 
you  and  explain  about  that  :  what  did  you  think 
of  me  ? " 

"  Well,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  didn't  have  time 
to  think  much  of  you.  Still,  I  have  some 
curiosity  to  learn  how  it  was  you   came  to  fail 


me." 


"  Well,  now  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it." 
And  thereupon  Jack  gave  his  story  in  a 
straightforward,  modest,  manly  way,  from  the 
moment  his  father  made  known  his  change  of 
purpose  and  sent  him  to  help  guard  the  home 
of  the  Wagstaff  Tories,  the  flight  of  Aaron, 
Jack's  pursuit  across  the  Delaware  and  his 
adventures  in  Trenton  the  nischt  before.  The 
youth  passed  lightly  over  his  daring  pursuit  of 
the  traitor,  but  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  his 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

august  listener  failed  to  appreciate  its  heroic 
features,  nor  did  he  tell  of  his  attempt  to  take 
the  letter  addressed  to  Colonel  Rail  by  force 
from  Aaron  Wagstaff,  but  he  dwelt  fully  upon 
the  invaluable  friendship  of  his  Hessian  friend 
Fritz,  while  his  possession  of  a  musket  com- 
pelled Jack  to  explain  his  brief  service  in  the 
ranks. 

Washington  quietly  remarked  : 

"  That  written  warning  of  which  you  speak 
was  delivered  to  Colonel  Rail  and  you  have 
been  puzzled  to  understand  why  it  failed  of 
effect.  The  truth  was  he  thrust  it  into  his 
pocket  and  forgot  about  it  until  after  the  battle. 
He  read  it  but  a  short  while  ago,  in  his  room, 
where  I  called  upon  him,  and  I  regret  to  say  he 
can  live  but  a  short  time  longer." 

"  I  knew  he  had  been  wounded,  but  did  not 
know  he  must  die  ;  I  am  sorry." 

"  So  am  I,  but  it  is  so  ordered  by  Providence. 
I  am  so  busy,  Jack,  that  I  can  give  you  but  a 
few  minutes,  but  I  want  to  say  that  the  story 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  289 

you  have  just  told  me  proves  you  to  be  a  true 
hero.  It  is  not  your  fault  that  you  failed,  for 
no  one  could  have  tried  harder  than  you.  You 
took  ten  times  the  risk  that  would  have  been 
yours  had  you  acted  as  one  of  my  guides.  The 
guard,  who  failed  in  their  duty,  deserve  punish- 
ment, but  the  victory  Heaven  has  vouchsafed 
to  us,  disposes  me  to  be  indulgent.  You  have 
proven  yourself  a  patriot  and  friend  to  me." 

"  I  want  to  tell  you  something,  General,"  the 
delighted  youth  hastened  to  say  ;  u  father  is 
going  to  let  me  enlist :  what  do  you  think  of 
that  f  " 

"  I  am  pleased  but  not  surprised  ;  I  was  sure 
he  would  do  so,  after  I  left  your  home  two 
nights  ago.  I  need  not  say  you  will  be  welcome, 
and  shall  have  every  opportunity  to  serve 
you  your  country." 

u  That's  all  I  wish,  but  I  want  to  ask  you  a 
favor,  General." 

The  boy's  eagerness  brought   a  smile  to  the 

face  of  the  great  man,  who  said  : 
*9 


290  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  It  will  give  me  pleasure  to  do  anything  I 
can  for  you." 

"  It's  about  my  friend  Fritz  ;  the  poor  fellow 
is  wounded." 

u  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that,  but  every  one  of  the 
unfortunate  prisoners  will  be  looked  after,  as  if 
they  were  our  own  men.  Have  no  misgiving 
on  those  grounds." 

"  I  do  not,  but  may  I  ask  what  will  be  done 
with  Fritz  after  he  gets  well  \ " 

'"  He  will  be  exchanged,  as  soon  as  the  oppor- 
tunity presents  itself.  You  do  not  imagine  any 
harm  would  be  done  him  ?  Comfortable  quar- 
ters have  been  secured  for  all  that  need  medical 
attention,  and  none  of  them  will  be  neglected. 
They  have  surgeons  of  their  own,  who  will  be 
left  in  charge,  since  they  do  not  need  the  help 
of  ours." 

"  But  1  was  thinking,  General,  whether  you 
wouldn't  be  willing  to  parole  Fritz  and  let  him 
be  taken  over  to  our  house,  where  mother  will 
look  after  him." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  291 

u  I  don't  know  as  that  will  improve  matters  ; 
it  might  be  dangerous  to  expose  him  while  the 
weather  is  so  inclement,  bat  I  will  have  inquiry 
made.     What  is  his  full  name  ? ,7 

"  I  declare  !  I  never  heard  it." 

"  Since  his  given  name  is  Fritz  and  he  is 
wounded  in  the  arm,  it  will  be  easy  to  discover 
him.  I  will  say  that  if  his  surgeon  deems  it 
prudent  to  let  him  be  taken  to  your  home 
and  he  wishes  to  go,  I  will  give  such  per- 
mission ;  I  will  have  his  parole  taken,  and  all 
shall  be  as  you  wish  so  far  as  it  is  in  my  power 
to  make  it  so." 

Jack  saw  he  was  usin^  valuable  time  of  the 
commander-in-chief,  for  several  leading  officers 
were  awaiting  the  chance  to  speak  to  him.  The 
youth,  therefore,  thanked  him,  made  an  elaborate 
salute,  and  passed  out  upon  the  street,  where  he 
almost  collided  with  Aaron  Wagstaff,  hurrying 
in  the  direction  of  the  open  country  to  the  north. 

u  Helloa  !  "  called  Jack ;  "  matters  seem  to 
have  gone  wrong  with  your  friends." 


292  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

"  With  my  friends  !  "  repeated  Wagstaff,  in 
pretended  astonislmient ;  "  I  think  they  have 
gone  just  right." 

"  Do  you  call  it  going  right,  when  Colonel 
Rail  has  been  mortally  wounded,  and  nearly  all 
of  his  men  captured  ? " 

u  Oh,  you  mean  the  Hessians  ;  why  they  ain't 
my  friends." 

"  When  did  they  become  your  enemies  ?  " 

"  They  always  was ;  I  never  liked  them  any 
better  than  you." 

"  What  about  that  letter  you  took  to  Colonel 
Rail  last  night  ? " 

"  I  never  took  any  letter,"  wras  the  unblush- 
ing response  ;  "  that  was  one  of  my  jokes  ;  can't 
you  see  the  way  things  went  that  Colonel  Rail 
never  got  any  letter  from  me  ? " 

"  He  got  it  sure,  but  he  put  it  in  his  pocket 
and  forgot  to  read  it  until  after  Washington 
attacked ;  I  know  that's  the  fact." 

"  It  wasn't  my  letter,  for  I  didn't  have  any  for 
him, — that's  honest,  Jack." 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  293 

The  latter  was  on  the  point  of  asking  whether 
the  dash  from  his  home  and  midnight  flight 
across  the  Delaware  was  a  joke,  when  he  recol- 
lected that  it  was  idle  to  argue  with  such  a  fel- 
low.    He  therefore  added : 

«  I'm  going  home,  Aaron,  for  a  few  days  and 
will  then  enlist  under  Washington ;  I  have 
fathers  promise ;  why  can't  you  go  with  me  ? " 

"  I'll  think  about  it,  Jack,  and  talk  with  the 
old  man  ;  if  he's  willing  I'm  with  you." 

Jack  reflected  that  this  was  a  very  safe  prom- 
ise for  the  Tory  to  make,  and  with  a  few  more 
unimportant  words,  the  two  separated.  Jack 
crossed  the  river  that  afternoon  with  the  troops 
of  Washington  to  Pennsylvania,  and  soon  after 
was  at  his  home  telling  his  story  to  his  father 
and  mother. 


294  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


COXCLUSIOX. 


Captain  Marlton  kept  track,  so  far  as  was 
possible,  of  the  movements  of  Washington  and 
his  army.  You  are  familiar  enough  with  the 
history  of  your  country  to  know  of  his  brilliant 
exploit,  by  which  he  outwitted  Cornwallis,  and, 
leaving  Trenton  by  a  circuitous  route,  fell  upon 
the  British  force  at  Princeton,  January  3,  1777, 
and  before  the  baffled  and  chagrined  comman- 
der could  return,  Washington  was  well  on  his 
way  to  Morristown,  where  he  went  into  winter 
quarters. 

Seeing  that  there  was  no  prospect  for  active 
service  for  Jack,  his  father,  although  ready  to 
keep  his  pledge,  advised  him  to  wait  until  the 
following  spring  before  enlisting,  and  the  son 
willingly  did  so. 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  295 

One  week  after  the  battle  of  Trenton,  and 
when  the  Delaware  was  comparatively  free  of 
ice,  Jack  borrowed  a  boat  and  sailed  across  to 
Trenton,  where  he  made  his  way  to  the  hospital 
in  which  he  found  his  old  friend  Fritz  Stahl,  as 
he  learned  was  his  full  name,  still  suffering  from 
his  wounded  arm,  but  in  good  spirits.  "Wash- 
ington, in  the  hurry  of  his  public  duties,  did  not 
forget  his  promise  to  Jack,  and  the  Hessian,  who 
had  been  paroled,  had  permission  to  accompany 
the  lad  to  his  home  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  as  soon  as  his  medical  attendant  deemed  it 
safe  to  do  so.  It  was  an  unusual  proceeding, 
but  the  surgeon  made  no  objection  and  the 
happy  fellow  gladly  went  with  his  old  friend. 

On  his  way,  he  paused  to  see  his  sweetheart 
Mary,  who  was  as  delighted  as  he,  since  it  was 
agreed  that  he  should  see  her  as  often  as  it  was 
prudent,  and  he  was  certain  to  receive  the  best 
of  care  in  his  new  home. 

No  one  could  have  been  more  welcome  than 
Fritz,  for  the  parents  of  Jack  deeply  appreciated 


296  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

the  kindness  he  had  shown  their  son,  when 
neither  had  any  reason  to  look  for  anything  of 
that  nature.  Fritz  was  strong,  sturdy  and  more 
than  willing  to  do  everything  in  his  power  to 
make  himself  useful.  His  wound  rapidly 
mended  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  he 
was  as  well  as  ever.  Some  two  months  after 
his  entrance  into  the  household,  a  messenger 
reached  the  house  with  a  notification  that  he 
had  been  exchanged  and  he  was  ordered  to  join 
the  command  of  Baron  Wilhelm  Knyphausen, 
who  came  to  this  country  as  second  in  command 
of  the  Hessians  in  1776,  and  in  the  following 
year  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  German  aux- 
iliaries. 

Fritz  ran  no  little  risk  in  disregarding  this 
order,  since  it  placed  him  in  the  position  of  a 
deserter,  but  he  boldly  took  it,  led  thereto  by 
several  reasons.  It  must  be  remembered,  in  the 
first  place,  that  the  Hessians  fought  in  the  Revo- 
lution, as  a  mere  matter  of  business.  There  was 
no  sentiment  either  way,  and,  had  they  been 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  297 

hired  by  Washington  instead  of  King  Greorge 
III.,  they  would  have  done  as  good  service  for 
the  Americans  as  for  their  enemies.  Therefore, 
Fritz  had  no  qualms  of  conscience  in  the 
matter. 

Furthermore,  he  felt  such  a  strong  liking  for 
Jack  Marlton  that  he  could  not  bear  the  thought 
of  fighting  against  him.  The  possibility  of  the 
two  meeting  in  battle  and  one  killing  the  other 
made  him  shudder  with  horror.  And  lastly, 
but  by  no  means  least,  a  certain  blue-eyed 
maiden  in  Trenton  acted  like  a  magnet  in  keep- 
ing him  where  he  could  see  her  quite  often. 

It  may  not  be  a  welcome  thing  to  state,  but 
it  is  a  fact  all  the  same,  that  there  are  to-day 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Trenton  and  in  Bucks 
County  across  the  river,  a  good  many  descend- 
ants of  the  Hessians,  and  they  are  among  the 
best  people.  I  remember  some  years  ago,  when 
an  old  house  -Avas  torn  down  nearly  opposite 
Trenton,  there  were  found  more  than  a  dozen 
Hessian  military  hats  in  the  garret.     How  they 


298  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

came  to  remain  there  for  so  many  years  un- 
noticed no  one  knew,  but  the  fact  has  its  signifi- 
cance. 

If  you  are  disposed  to  make  inquiries  for 
Hessian  descendants  in  the  section  I  have  named, 
let  me  suggest  that  you  be  guarded  about  it,  for 
most  of  the  descendants  referred  to  feel  sensi- 
tive over  the  matter  and  might  not  be  disposed 
to  furnish  reliable  information. 

Fritz  Stahl  remained  for  three  years  with 
Captain  Marlton,  who  paid  him  good  wages,  for 
he  was  the  best  man  he  ever  had  in  his  employ, 
and  his  intelligent  labor  added  a  good  deal  to 
the  value  of  the  fertile  little  farm.  Strange  as 
it  may  seem,  Fritz  occasionally,  when  he  could 
be  spared,  helped  on  the  larger  farm  of  the 
Wagstaffs,  who  often  found  it  difficult  to  pro- 
cure the  hands  they  needed.  It  need  hardly  be 
said  that  Aaron  never  enlisted.  His  excuse  was 
that  his  father  could  not  spare  him,  and  he 
added  with  a  grim  smile  that  must  have  wrenched 
him,    that  Washington  was  doing  so  well  he 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  299 

really  did  not  need  his  assistance.  Although 
the  sentiments  of  the  family  were  well  known, 
they  were  not  molested  or  interfered  with  in 
any  way,  for  the  patriots  were  always  more 
magnanimous  than  the  Tories. 

At  the  end  of  two  years,  Fritz  and  Mary  were 
married  and  made  their  home  in  the  comfort- 
able tenant  house  built  for  them  by  Captain 
Marlton,  who  felt  that  the  honest  fellow  had 
earned  a  good  deal  more  than  he  received.  The 
existence  of  Fritz  seemed  to  have  been  forgotten 
by  his  former  officers,  for  he  was  never  disturbed, 
and  he  and  his  wife  lived  to  a  oreen  old  a^e, 
extending  so  far  into  the  succeeding  century, 
that  both  are  well  remembered  by  more  than 
one  of  the  old  inhabitants  of  the  vicinity. 

Washington  remained  in  his  winter  quarters 
at  Morristown,  until  May,  1777.  In  the  latter 
part  of  that  month,  with  an  army  numbering 
less  than  8,000,  he  started  on  his  march  south- 
ward. Howe  was  at  Brunswick  (the  town  was 
not   called  "  New  "  Brunswick  until  after  the 


300  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

Revolution),  with  an  army  fully  double  in  num- 
bers. He  marched  to  Staten  Island,  embarked 
his  army  on  his  brother's  fleet,  and  soon  after 
entered  Chesapeake  Bay.  Washington,  seeing 
that  his  destination  was  Philadelphia,  moved  to 
Germantown  with  a  view  of  defeating  his  pur- 
pose. The  battle  of  the  Brandy  wine  was  fought 
September  11,  1777,  and  the  Americans  were 
defeated.  It  was  in  this  battle  that  Lafayette 
was  wounded  and  Jack  Marlton  first  saw  serv- 
ice as  a  regularly  enlisted  private  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Continentals.  He  passed  through  without 
harm,  but  was  greatly  depressed  by  the  failure 
of  the  patriots,  followed  soon  after  by  the  occu- 
pation of  Philadelphia  by  the  enemy.  The  next 
engagement  in  which  our  young  hero  took  part 
was  in  October  at  Germantown,  when  the  Amer- 
icans were  a»;am  unsuccessful,  the  lamentable 
feature  of  the  battle  being  that  they  withdrew 
when  on  the  very  eve  of  gaining  a  brill  ant  vic- 
tory. 

Then    came  the  dismal,    dreadful  winter  at 


THE  BOY  PATRIOT.  30 1 

Valley  Forge,  when  the  patriots  braved  starva- 
tion and  death  from  freezing.  Jack  went 
through  it  with  the  rest  of  the  heroes,  one  of 
the  occupants  of  his  miserable  cabin  being  his 
old  friend  John  Fitch,  who  never  lost  his  pa- 
triotic faith  in  Washington  and  the  success  of 
American  Independence. 

The  British  withdrew  from  Philadelphia 
about  the  middle  of  June,  1778,  and  started 
overland  to  New  York.  At  Monmouth  Court- 
House,  Washington  overtook  and  defeated  them. 
It  was  in  that  battle  that  Jack  Marlton's  cool- 
ness and  intrepidity  attracted  such  favorable 
notice  that  he  was  made  a  first  lieutenant. 

After  that  there  were  few  chances  for  impor- 
tant service  until  the  final  campaign  at  York- 
town,  where  Jack  was  made  a  captain,  while 
the  siege  of  Cornwallis  was  in  progress.  Heaven 
was  kind  to  him,  and,  when  the  surrender  of  the 
British  army  took  place  and  the  courier  started 
on  his  headlong  ride  to  Philadelphia  with  the 
glorious  news,  the  young  officer  was  without  a 


302  THE  BOY  PATRIOT. 

scratch,  though  he  had  had  several  narrow 
escapes.  He  was  among  those  who  shed  tears 
when  the  time  came  to  bid  farewell  to  the 
beloved  commander-in-chief. 

It  seemed  to  him  that  as  the  Father  of  his 
Country  looked  down  on  him,  he  held  his  hand 
longer  than  usual,  and  there  was  a  tremor  in  his 
voice  and  a  suspicious  moisture  in  his  eyes,  as 
he  said : 

"  Good-by,  Captain  Marlton  ;  you  have  a 
true  patriot  for  a  father  ;  I  beg  you  to  give  him 
and  your  mother  my  most  respectful  regards, 
and  tell  them  from  me  that  our  country  has  had 
no  truer  or  braver  soldier  in  its  employ  than 
you ;  you  proved  yourself  its  devoted  servant 
and  a  Friend  of  Washington." 

THE     END. 


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BY  POPULAR  WRITERS, 

52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


,  Bonnie  Prince  Charlie  :  A  Tale  of  Fontenoy  and  Culloden.     By 

G.  A.  Henty.     With   12   full-page   Illustrations   by  Gordon 

Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

The  adventures  of  the  son  of  a  Scotch  officer  in  Fr  nch  service, 
•^he  boy,  brought  up  by  a  Glasgow  bailie,  is  a  rested  for  aiding  a 
facobite  agent,  escapes,  is  wrecked  on  the  French  coast,  reaches 
Parte,  and  serves  with  the  French  army  at  Dettingen.  He  kills 
his  father's  foe  in  a  duel,  and  escaping  to  the  coast,  shares  the 
adventures  of  Prince  Charlie,  but  finally  settles  happily  in  Scot- 
land 

"Ronald,  the  hero,  is  very  like  the  hero  of  '  Quentin  Durward.1  The  lad's 
journey  across  France,  and  his  hairbreadth  escapes,  make  up  as  good  a  nar- 
*  ative  of  the  kind  as  we  have  ever  read.  For  freshness  of  treatment  and 
-ariety  of  incident  Mr.  Henty  has  surpassed  himself. " — Spectator. 

With  Clive  in  India ;  or,  the  Beginnings  of  an  Empire.  By 
G.  A.  Henty,  With  12  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon 
Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1,00. 

The  peried  between  the  landing  of  Clive  as  a  young  writer  in 
Tndia  and  the  close  of  his  career  was  critical  and  eventful  in  the 
extreme.  At  its  commencement  the  English  were  traders  existing 
on  sufferance  of  the  native  princes.  At  its  close  they  were  masters 
of  Bengal  and  f  the  greater  part  of  Southern  India.  The  author 
has  given  a  full  and  accurate  account  of  the  events  of  that  stirring 
time,  and  battles  and  sieges  follow  each  other  in  rapid  succession, 
while  he  combines  with  his  narrative  a  tale  of  daring  and  adven- 
ture, which  gives  a  lifelike  interest  to  the  volume. 

"  He  has  taken  a  period  of  Indian  history  of  the  most  vital  importance, 
and  he  has  embroidered  on  the  historical  facts  a  story  which  of  itself  is  deeply 
Interesting.  Young  people  assuredly  will  be  delighted  with  the  volume.11— 
Scotsman. 

The  Lion  of  the  North  :  A  Tale  of  Gnstavus  Adolphus  and  the 
Wars  of  Religion.     By  G.  A.  Henty.     With  full-page  Illus- 
trations by  John  Schonberg.     12mo,  clotk,  price  $1.00. 
In  this  story  Mr.  Heny  gives  the  history  of  the  first  rart  of  th© 
Thirty  Years'  War.     The  issue  hid  its  importance,  which  has  ex- 
tended to   the  present  day,  as   it   established  religious   freedom 
in  Germany.     The  army  of  the  chivalrous   king    of   Sweden  was 
largely  composed  of  Scotchmen,  and  among  these  was  the  hero  of 
the  story 

'*  The  tale  is  a  clever  and  instructive  piece  of  history,  and  as  boys  may  be 
trusted  to  read  it  conscientiously,  they  can  hardly  fail  to  be  profited,  "—rime* 


3  A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

The  Dragon  and  the  Raven;  or,  The  Days  of  King  Alfred.  By 
G.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  C.  J.  Stani- 
land,  R.I.     12ino,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

In  this  story  the  author  gives  an  account  of  the  fierce  struggle 
between  Saxon  and  Dane  for  supremacy  in  England,  and  presents 
a  vivid  picture  of  the  misery  and  ruin  to  which  the  country  was 
reduced  by  the  ravages  of  the  sea- wolves.  The  hero,  a  yoang 
Saxon  thane,  takes  part  in  all  the  battles  fought  by  King  Alfred. 
He  is  driven  from  his  home,  takes  to  the  sea  and  resists  the  Danes 
on  their  own  element,  and  being  pursued  by  them  up  the  Seine, 
is  present  at  the  long  and  desperate  siege  of  Paris. 

"  Treated  in  a  manner  most  attractive  to  the  boyish  reader.,,— A thenazum. 

The  Young  Carthaginian :  A  Story  of  the  Times  of  Hannibal. 
By  G.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  C.  J.  Stani« 
LAND,  R.L     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

Boys  reading  the  history  of  the  Punic  Wars  have  seldom  a  keen 
appreciation  of  the  merits  of  the  contest.  That  it  was  at  first  a 
struggle  for  empire,  and  afterward  for  existence  on  the  part  of 
Carthage,  that  Hannibal  was  a  great  and  skillful  general,  that  he 
defeated  the  Romans  at  Trebia,  Lake  Trasimenus,  and  Cannae, 
and  all  but  took  Rome,  represents  pretty  nearly  the  sum  total  of 
their  knowledge.  To  let  them  know  more  about  this  momentous 
struggle  for  the  empire  of  the  world  Mr.  Henty  has  written  this 
story,  which  not  only  gives  in  graphic  style  a  brilliaut  descrip- 
tion of  a  most  interesting  period  of  history,  but  is  a  tale  of  ex- 
citing adventure  sure  to  secure  the  interest  of  the  reader. 

**  Well  constructed  and  vividly  told.  From  first  to  last  nothing  stays  the 
Interest  of  the  narrative.  It  bears  us  along  as  on  a  Jstream  whose  current 
varies  in  direction,  but  never  loses  its  force."— Saturday  Review. 

In  Freedom's  Cause  :  A  Story  of  Wallace  and  Bruce.  By  G.  A. 
Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon  Browne. 
12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

In  this  story  the  author  relates  the  stirring  tale  of  the  Scottish 
War  of  Independence.  The  extraordinary  valor  and  personal 
prowess  of  Wallace  and  Bruce  rival  the  deeds  of  the  mythical 
heroes  of  chivalry,  and  indeed  at  one  time  Wallace  was  ranked 
with  these  legendary  personages.  The  researches  of  modern 
historians  have  shown,  however,  that  he  was  a  living,  breathing 
man — and  a  valiant  champion.  The  hero  of  the  tale  fought  under 
both  Wallace  and  Bruce,  and  while  the  strictest  historical  accuracy 
has  been  maintained  with  respect  to  public  events,  the  work  is 
full  of  "hairbreadth  'scapes"  and  wild  adventure. 

"  It  is  written  in  the  author's  best  style.  Full  of  the  wildest  and  most  re- 
markable achievements,  it  is  a  tale  of  great  interest,  which  a  boy,  once  he  has 
begun  it,  will  not  willingly  put  on  one  side."— The  Schoolmaster. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


With  Lee  in  Virginia:  A  Story  of  the  American  Civil  War.    By 

(i.    A.    Henty.       With    full-page    Illustrations    by    Gordon 

Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

The  story  of  a  young  Virginian  planter,  who,  after  bravely 
proving  his  sympathy  with  the  slaves  of  brutal  masters,  serves 
with  no  less  courage  and  enthusiasm  under  Lee  and  Jackson 
through  the  most  exciting  events  of  the  struggle.  He  has  many 
hairbreadth  escapes,  is  seve  al  times  w  ounded  and  twice  taken, 
prisoner;  but  his  courage  and  readiness  and,  in  two  cases,  the 
devotion  of  a  black  servant  and  of  a  runaway  slave  whom  he  had 
assisted,  bring  him  safety  through  all  difficulties. 

"  One  of  the  best  stories  .01  lads  which  Mr.  Henty  has  yet  written.  The 
picture  is  full  of  life  and  color,  and  the  stirring  and  romantic  incidents  are 
skillfully  blended  with  the  personal  interest  and  charm  of  the  story."— 
Standard. 

By  England's  Aid ;  or,  The  Freeing  of  the  Netherlands   (1585- 
1604).     By   G.   A.    Henty.     With   full-page   Illustrations  by 
Alfred  Pearse,  and  Maps.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
The  story  of  two  English  lads  \\  ho  go  to  Holland  as  pages  in 
the  service  of  one  of  "  the  lighting  Veres."     After  many  adven- 
tures by  sea  and  land,  one  of  the  lads  finds  himself  on  board  a 
Spanish  ship  at  the  time  of  the  defeat  of  the  Armada,  and  escapes 
only  to  fall  in:o  the  hands  of  the  Corsairs.     He  is  successful  in 
getting  back  to  Spain  under  the  protection  of  a  wealthy  merchant, 
and  regains  his  native  country  afte-  the  capture  of  Cadiz. 

"  It  is  an  admirable  book  for  youngsters.  It  overflows  with  stirring  inci- 
dent and  exciting  adventure,  and  the  color  of  the  era  and  of  the  scene  are 
finely  reproduced.  The  illustrations  add  to  its  attractiveness.  "—Boston 
Gazette. 

By  Right  of  Conquest ;  or,  With  Cortez  in  Mexico.      By  G.  A. 

Henty.     With  full-page  Illustrations  by  W.  S.  Stacey,  and 

Two  Maps.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.50. 

The  conquest  of  Mexico  by  a  small  band  of  resolute  men  under 
the  magnificent  leadership  of  Cortez  is  always  rightly  ranked 
among  the  most  romantic  and  daring  exploits  in  history.  With 
this  as  the  groundwork  of  his  story  Mr.  Henty  ha«  Interwoven  the 
adventures  of  an  English  youth,  Roger  Hawkshaw,  the  sole  sur° 
vivo?  of  the  good  ship  Swan,  which  had  sailed  from  a  Devon  port 
to  challenge  the  mercantile  supremacy  o  the  Spaniards  in  the 
New  World.  He  is  beset  by  many  perils  among  the  natives,  but 
is  saved  by  his  own  judgment  and  strength,  and  by  f.he  devotion 
of  an  Aztec  princes^.  At  last  by  a  ruse  he  obtains  the  protection 
of  the  Spaniards,  and  after  the  fall  of  Mexico  h"  succeeds  in  re- 
gaining his  native  shore,  with  a  fortune  and  a  charming  Aztec 
bride. 

* '  By  Right  of  Conquest "  is  the  nearest  approach  to  a  perfectly  successful 
historical  tale  that  Mr.  Henty  has  yet  published.11—  Academy. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


In  the  Reign  of  Terror :  The  Adventures  of  a  Westminster  Boy 
By  G.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  J.  Schon 
berg.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

Harry  Sandwith,  a  Westminster  boy,  becomes  a  resident  at  ihe 
chateau  of  a  French  marquis,  and  aft*  r  various  adventures  accom 
panies  the  family  to  Paris  at  the  crisis  of  the  Revolution.  I  in 
prisonment  and  death  reduce  their  number,  and  the  hero  finds 
himself  I  eset  by  perils  with  the  three  young  daughters  of  the 
/house  in  his  charge.  After  hairbreadth  escapes  they  reach  Nan- 
tes. There  the  «. iris  are  condemned  to  death  in  the  coffin- -hips, 
but  are  saved  by  the  unfailing  courage  of  their  boy  protector. 

"  Harry  Sand  with,  the  Westminster  boy,  may  rairly  be  said  to  beat  Mr. 
Henty's  record.  His  adventures  will  delight  boy-,  by  the  audacity  and  peril 
they  depict.  .  .  .  The  story  is  one  of  Mr.  Henty's  best."—  Saturday 
Review. 

With  Wolfe  in  Canada  ;  or,  The  Winning  of  a  Continent.  By 
G.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon 
Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

In  the  present  volume  Mr.  Henty  gives  an  account  of  the  strug- 
gle between  Britain  and  France  for  supremacy  in  the  North 
American  continent.  On  the  issue  of  this  war  depended  not  only 
the  destinies  of  North  America,  but  to  a  large  extent  those  of  the 
mother  countries  themselves.  The  fall  of  Quebec  decided  that 
the  A.nglo-Saxon  race  should  predominate  in  the  New  World; 
that  Britain,  and  not  France,  should  take  the  lead  among  the 
nations  of  Europe;  and  that  English  and  American  commerce,  the 
English  language,  and  English  literature,  should  spread  right 
round  the  globe. 

"  It  Is  not  o»ly  a  lesson  in  history  as  instructively  as  it  is  graphically  told, 
but  also  a  deeply  interesting  and  often  thrilling  tale  of  adventure  and  peril  by 
flood  and  field. '''—Illustrated  London  News. 

True  to  the  Old  Flag :  A  Tale  of  the  American  War  of  Inde 

pendence.     By  G.  A.  Henty.     With  full-page  Illustrations  by 

Gordon  Browne,     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

I      In  this  story  the  author  has  gone  to  the  accounts  of  officer*?  whc 

,  look  part  in  the  conflict,  and  lads  will  find  that  in  no  war  in  which 

American  and  British  soldiers  have  been  engaged  did  they  behave 

with  greater  courage  and  good  conduct.     The  historical  portion  of 

the  book  being  accompanied  with  numerous  thrilling  adventures 

with  the  redskins  on  the  shores  of  La  e  Huron,  a  story  of  exciting 

interest  is  interwoven  with   the   general   narrative   and   carried 

through  the  book. 

'*  Does  justice  to  the  pluck  and  determination  of  the  British  soldiers  during 
the  unfortunate  struggle  against  American  emancipation.  The  son  of  an 
American  loyalist,  who  remains  true  to  our  flag,  falls  among  the  hostile  red- 
skins in  that  very  Huron  country  which  has  been  endeared  to  us  by  the  ex- 
ploits of  Haw  key  e  and  Chingachgook."— The  Time*. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS.  5 

The  Lion  of  St.  Mark :  A  Tale   of   Venice   in    the    Fourteenth 
Century.     By  G.  A.  Henty.     With  full-page  Illustrations  by 
Gordon  Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
A  story  of  Venice  at  a  period  when   her  strength  and  splendor 
were  put  to  the  severest  tests.     The  hero  displays  a  fine  sense  and 
^manliness  which  carry  hiin  safely  through  an  atmosphere  of  i.i- 
'trigue,  crime,  and  bloodshed.     He  contributes  largely  to  the  vic- 
tories of  the  Venetians  at  Porto  d'Anzo  and  Chioggia,  and  finally 
wins  the  hand  of  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  chief  men  of  Venice. 

14  Every  boy  should  read  '  The  Lion  of  St.  Mark.'  Mr.  Henry  has  never  pro 
duced  a  story  more  delightful,  more  wholesome,  or  more  vivacious.  "Satur 
day  Review. 

A  Final  Reckoning:  A  Tale  of  Bush  Life  in  Australia.  By  G.  A. 

Henty.     With   full  page   Illustrations   by   W.    B.    Wollen. 

12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00, 

The  hero,  a  young  English  lad.  after  rather  a  stormy  boyhood, 
emigrates  to  Australia,  and  gets  employment  as  an  officer  in  the 
mounted  police.  A  few  years  of  active  work  on  the  frontier, 
where  he  has  many  a  brush  with  both  natives  and  bushrangers, 
gain  him  promotion  to  a  captaincy,  and  he  eventually  settles 
down  to  the  peaceful  life  of  a  squatter. 

"  Mr.  Henty  has  never  published  a  more  readable,  a  more  carefully  con- 
structed, or  a  better  written  story  than  this.'1— Spectator. 

Under  Drake's  Flag  :  A  Tale  of  the  Spanish  Main.     By  G.  A. 

Henty.     With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon  Browne. 

12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

A  story  of  the  days  when  England  and  Spain  struggled  for  the 
supremacy  of  the  sea.  The  heroes  sail  as  lads  with  Drake  in  the 
Pacific  expedition,  and  in  his  great  voyage  of  circumnavigation. 
The  historical  portion  of  the  story  is  absolutely  to  be  relied  upon, 
but  this  will  perhaps  be  less  attractive  than  the  great  variety  of 
exciting  adventure  through  wK„ch  the  young  heroes  pass  in  the 
course  of  their  voyages. 

"  A  book  of  adventure,  where  the  hero  meets  with  experience  enough,  one 
would  think,  to  turn  his  hair  gray.11— Harper's  Monthly  Magazine. 

By  Sheer  Pluck  :  A  Tale  or  the  Ashanti  War.     By  G.  A.  Henty. 

With   full- page    Illustrations    by   Gordon    Browne.     12mo> 

cloth,  price  $1.00. 

The  author  has  woven,  in  a  tale  of  thrilling  interest,  all  the  de- 
lails  of  the  Ashanti  campaign,  of  which  he  was  himself  a  witness. 
His  hero,  after  many  exciting  adventures  in  the  interior,  is  de- 
tained a  prisoner  by  the  king  just  before  the  outbreak  of  the  war, 
but  escapes,  and  accompanies  the  English  expedit  on  on  their 
march  to  Coomassie. 

"  Mr.  Henty  keeps  up  his  reputation  as  a  writer  of  boys'  stories.  '  By  Sheer 
Pluck '  will  be  eagerly  read.11— Athenceutn. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


By  Pike  and  Dyke  :  A  Tale  of  the  Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic 
By  G.  A.  Henty.     With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Maynard 
Brown,  and  4  Maps.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
In  this  story  Mr.  Henty  traces  the  adventures  and  brave  deeds 
of  an  English  boy  in  the  household  of  the  •  blest  man  of  his  age— 
William  the  Silent.     Edward  Martin,  the  son  of  an  English  sea- 
captain,  enters  the  service  of  the  Prince  as  a  volunteer,  and  is  em- 
ployed by  him  in  many  dangerous  and  responsible  missions,  in  the 
discharge  of  which  he  passes  through  the  great  sieges  of  the  time. 
He  u.timately  settles  down  as  Sir  Edward  Martin. 

"  Boys  with  a  turn  for  historical  research  will  be  enchanted  with  the  book, 
while  the  rest  who  o'  >ly  care  for  adventure  will  be  students  in  spite  of  them 
selves."— Si.  James"1  Gazette. 

St.  George  for  Kngland  :  A  Tale  of  Cressy  and  Poitiers.  By 
G.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon 
Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

No  portion  of  English  history  is  more  crowded  with  great  events 
than  that  of  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  Cressy  and  Poitiers;  the 
destruction  of  the  Spanish  fleet;  the  plague  of  the  Black  Death; 
tbe  Jacquerie  rising;  these  are  treated  by  the  author  in  "  St. 
George  for  England."  The  hero  of  the  story,  although  of  good 
family,  begins  life  as  a  London  apprentice,  but  after  countless  ad 
ventures  and  perils  becomes  by  valor  and  good  conduct  the  squire, 
and  at  last  the  trusted  friend  of  the  Black  Prince. 

"Mr.  Henty  has  developed  for  himself  a  type  of  historical  novel  for  boys 
which  bids  fair  to  supplement,  on  their  behalf,  the  historical  labors  of  Sir 
Walter  Scott  in  the  land  of  fiction.''''— The  Standard. 

Captain's  Kidd's  Gold:  The  True  Story  of  an  Adventurous  Sailor 
Boy.  By  J  a.mes  Franklin  Fitts.  12mo,  clot  i,  price  $1.00. 
There  is  something  fascinating  to  the  average  youth  in  the  very 
Idea  of  buried  treasure.  A  vision  arises  before  his  eyes  of  swarthy 
Portuguese  and  Spanish  rascals,  with  black  beards  and  gleaming 
eyes — sinister-looking  fellows  who  once  on  a  time  haunted  the 
Spanish  Main,  sneaking  out  from  some  hidden  creek  in  their  long, 
low  schooner,  of  picaroonish  rake  and  sheer,  to  attack  an  unsus- 
pecting trading  craft.  Tnere  were  many  famous  sea  rovers  in 
their  day,  but  none  more  celebrated  than  Capt.  Kidd.  Perhaps 
the  most  fascinating  tale  of  all  is  Mr.  Fitts'  true  story  of  an  adven 
turous  American  boy,  who  receives  from  his  dying  father  at* 
ancient  bit  of  vellum,  which  the  latter  obtained  in  a  curious  way. 
The  document  bears  obscure  directions  purporting  to  locate  a  cer- 
tain island  in  the  Bahama  group,  and  a  considerable  treasure 
buried  there  by  two  of  Kidd's  crew.  The  hero  of  this  book, 
Paul  Jones  Garry,  is  an  ambitious,  persevering  lad,  of  salt-water 
New  England  ancestry,  and  his  efforts  to  reach  the  island  and 
secure  the  money  form  one  of  the  most  absorbing  tales  for  our 
youth  that  h&&  come  from  the  press. 


A.  L.  BURTS  PUBLICATIONS. 


Captain  Bayley's  Heir :  A  Tale  of  the  Gold  Fields  of  California 
By  G.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  H.  M. 
PAGET'.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

A  frank,  manly  lad  and  his  cousin  are  rivals  in  the  heirship  of  a 
30  siderable  property.  The  former  f  ills  into  a  trap  laid  by  the 
latter,  and  while  under  a  false  accusation  of  theft  foolishly  leaves 
England  for  America.  He  works  his  pnssage  before  the  mast, 
joins  a  small  band  of  hunters,  crosses  a  tract  of  country  infested 
with  Indians  to  the  Californian  gold  diggings,  and  is  successful 
both  as  digger  and  trader. 

"Mr.  Henty  is  careful  to  mingle  instruction  with  entertainment;  and  the 
humorous  touches,  especially  in  the  sketch  of  John  Holl,  the  Westminster 
dustman,  Dickens  himself  could  hardly  have  excelled.'11— Christian  Leader. 

For  Name  and  Fame  ;  or,  Through  Afghan  Passes.      By  G.   A. 

Henty.     With  full-page   Illustrations  by  Gordon  Browne. 

12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

An  interesting  story  of  the  last  war  in  Afghanistan.  The  hero, 
after  being  wrecked  and  going  through  many  stirring  adventures 
among  the  Malays,  finds  his  way  to  Calcutta  and  enlists  in  a  regi- 
ment proceeding  to  join  the  army  at  the  Afghan  passes.  He  ac- 
companies the  force  under  General  Roberts  to  the  Peiwar  Kotal, 
is  wounded,  taken  prisoner,  carried  to  Cabal,  whence  he  is  trans- 
ferred to  Candahar,  and  takes  part  in  the  final  defeat  of  the  army 
of  Ayoub  Khan. 

"The best  feature  of  th?  book— apart  from  the  interest  of  its  scenes  of  ad- 
venture— is  its  honest  effort  to  do  justice  to  the  patriotism  of  the  Afghan 
people.,,— Daily  News. 

Captured  by  Apes  :  The  Wonderful  Adventures  of  a  Young 
Animal  Trainer.  By  Harry  Prentice.  12mo,  cloth,  $1.00. 
The  scene  of  this  tale  is  laid  on  an  island  in  the  Malay  Archi- 
pelago. Philip  Garland,  a  young  animal  collector  and  trainer,  of 
New  York,  sets  sail  for  Eastern  seas  in  quest  of  a  new  stock  of 
living  curiosities.  The  vessel  is  wrecked  off  the  coast  of  Borneo 
md  young  Garland,  the  sole  survivor  of  the  disaster,  is  cast  ashore 
on  a  small  island,  and  captured  by  the  apes  that  overrun  the 
place.  The  lad  discovers  that  the  ruling  spirit  of  the  monkey 
tribe  is  a  gigantic  and  vicious  baboon,  whom  he  identifies  as 
Goliah,  an  animal  at  one  time  in  his  possession  and  with  whose 
instruction  he  had  been  especially  diligent.  The  brute  recognizes 
him,  and  with  a  kind  of  malignant  satisfaction  puts  his  former 
master  through  the  same  course  of  training  he  had  himself  ex- 
perienced with  a  faithfulness  of  detail  which  shows  how  astonish- 
ing is  monkey  recollection.  Very  novel  indeed  is  the  way  by 
which  the  young  man  escape*  death.  Mr.  Prentice  has  certainly 
worked  a  new  vein  on  juvenile  fiction,  and  the  ability  with  which 
he  handles  a  difficult  subject  stamps  him  as  a  writer  of  undoubted 
skill. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS 


The  Bravest  of  the  Brave ;  or,  With  Peterborough  in  Spain 
By  (J.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  H.  M. 
Paget.     12m  \  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

There  are  few  great  leaders  whose  lives  and  actions  have  so 
completely  fallen  into  oblivion  as  those  of  the  Earl  of  Peter 
borough.  This  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  they  were  over- 
shadowed by  the  glory  and  successes  of  Marlborough.  His  career 
as  general  extended  over  l.ttle  more  than  a  year,  and  yet,  in  that 
time,  he  showed  a  genius  for  warfare  which  has  never  been  sur= 
passed. 

"  Mr.  Henty  never  loses  sight  of  the  moral  purpose  of  his  work— to  enforce 
the  doctrine  of  courage  and  truth.  Lads  will  read  '  The  Bravest  of  the  Brave  ' 
yith  pleasure  and  profit;  of  that  we  are  quite  sure."— Daily  Telegraph. 

The  Cat  of  Bubastes  :  A  Story  of  Ancient  Egypt.     By  G.  A. 

Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations.  12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

A  story  which  will  give  young  readers  an  unsurpassed  insight 
into  the  customs  of  the  Egyptian  people.  Amuba,  a  prince  of  the 
Rebu  nation,  is  carried  with  his  charioteer  Jethro  into  slavery. 
They  become  inmates  of  the  house  of  Ameres,  the  Egyptian  high- 
piest.  and  are  happy  in  his  service  until  the  priest's  son  acci- 
dentally kills  the  sacred  cat  of  Bubastes.  In  an  outburst  of  popular 
fury  Ameres  is  killed,  and  it  rests  with  Jethro  and  Amuba  to 
secure  the  escape  of  the  high-priest's  son  and  daughter. 

"  The  story,  from  the  critical  moment  of  the  killing  of  the  sacred  cat  to  the 
perilous  exodus  into  Asia  with  which  it  closes,  is  very  skillfully  constructed 
and  full  of  exciting  adventures.  It  is  admirably  illustrated." —Saturday 
Review. 

With  Washington  at  Monmouth  :  A  Story  of  Three  Phila 
delphia  Boys.  By  James  Otis.  12mo,  cloth,  price  $1  00. 
Three  Philadelphia  boys,  Seth  Graydon  "whose  mother  con- 
ducted a  boarding-house  which  was  patronized  by  the  British 
officers;"  Enoch  Ball,  "son  of  that  Mrs.  Ball  whose  dancing 
school  was  situated  on  Letitia  Street,"  and  little  Jacob,  son  of 
"Chris,  the  Baker,"  serve  as  the  principal  characters.  Tho 
story  is  laid  during  the  winter  when  Lord  Howe  held  possession 
of  the  city,  and  the  lads  aid  the  cause  by  assisting  the  American 
spies  who  make  regular  and  frequent  visits  from  Valley  Forge. 
One  reads  here  of  home-life  in  the  captive  city  when  bread  was 
scarce  among  the  people  of  the  lower  classes,  and  a  reckless  prodi- 
gality shown  by  the  British  officers,  who  passed  the  winter  in 
feasting  and  merry-making  while  the  members  of  the  patriot  army 
but  a  few  miles  away  were  suffering  from  both  cold  and  hunger. 
The  story  abounds  with  pictures  of  Colonial  life  skillfully 
drawn,  and  the  glimpses  of  Washington's  soldiers  which  are  give& 
show  that  the  work  has  not  been  nastily  done,,  or  without  cob 
siderable  study, 


A.  L.  BURTS  PUBLICATIONS.  9 

For  the  Temple:  A  Tale  of  the  Fall  of  Jerusalem.     By  G.  A. 

Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  S.  J.  Solomon.  12ino, 

cloth,  price  $1.00. 

Mr.  Henty  here  weaves  into  the  record  of  Josephus  an  admirable 
and  attractive  story.  The  troubles  in  the  district  of  Tiberias,  the 
march  of  the  legions,  the  sieges  of  Jotapata,  of  Gamala,  and  of 
Jerusalem,  form  the  impressive  and  carefully  studied  historic 
setting  to  the  figure  of  the  lad  who  passes  from  the  vineyard  to 
the  service  of  Josephus,  becomes  the  leader  of  a  guerrilla  band  of 
patriots,  fights  bravely  for  the  Temple,  and  after  a  brief  term  of 
slavery  at  Alexandria,  returns  to  his  Galilean  home  with  the  favor 
of  Titus. 

"  Mr.  Plenty's  graphic  prose  pictures  of  the  hopeless  Jewish  resistance  to 
Roman  sway  add  another  leaf  to  his  record  of  the  famous  wars  of  the  world.'" 
—Graphic. 

Facing  Death  ;  or,  The  Hero  of  the  Vaughan  Pit.     A  Tale  of 
the  v  oal  Mines.     By  G.   A.   Henty.     With  full-page  Illustra- 
tions by  Gordon  Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
"Facing  Death"  is  a  story  with  a  purpose.     It  is  intended  to 
show  that  a  lad  who  makes  up  his  mind  firmly  and  resolutely  that 
he  will  rise  in  life,  and  who  is  prepared  to  face  toil  and  ridicule 
and  hardship  to  carry  out  his  determination,  is  sure  to  succeed. 
The  hero  of  the  story  is  a  typical    British   boy,  dogged,  earnest, 
generous,  and  though  "  shamefaced"  to  a  degree,  is  ready  to  face 
death  in  the  discharge  of  duty. 

"  The  tale  is  well  written  and  well  illustrated,  and  there  is  much  reality  in 
the  characters.  If  any  father,  clergyman,  or  schoolmaster  is  on  the  lookout 
for  a  good  book  to  give  as  a  present  to  a  boy  who  is  worth  his  salt,  this  is  tho 
book  we  would  recommend.''''— Standard. 

Tom  Temple's  Career.    By   Horatio    Alger.     12mo,   cloth, 

price  $1.00. 

Tom  Temple,  a  bright,  self-reliant  lad,  by  the  death  of  his 
father  becomes  a  boarder  at  the  home  of  Nathan  Middleton,  a 
penurious  insurance  agent.  Though  well  paid  for  keeping  the 
boy,  Nathan  and  his  wife  endeavor  to  bring  Master  Tom  in  line 
svith  their  parsimonious  habits.  The  lad  ingeniously  evades  their 
efforts  and  revolutionizes  the  household.  As  Tom  is  heir  to 
$40,000,  he  is  regarded  as  a  person  of  some  importance  until  by 
an  unfortunate  combination  of  circumstances  his  fortune  shrinks 
to  a  few  hundreds.  He  leaves  Plympton  village  to  seek  work  in 
New  York,  whence  he  undertakes  an  important  mission  to  Cali- 
fornia, around  which  center  the  most  exciting  incidents  of  his 
young  career.  Some  of  his  adventures  in  the  far  west  are  so 
startling  that  the  reader  will  scarcely  close  the  book  until  the  last 
page  shall  have  been  reached.  The  tale  is  written  in  Mr.  Alger's 
most  fascinating  style,  and  is  bound  to  please  the  very  large  class 
of  boys  who  regard  this  popular  author  as  a  prime  favorite. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


Maori  and  Settler:  A  Story  of  the  New  Zealand  War.  By 
G.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Alfred  Pearse, 
12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

The  Renshaws  emigrate  to  New  Zealand  during  the  period  of 
the  war  with  the  natives.  Wilfrid,  a  strong,  self-reliant,  coura- 
geous lad,  is  the  mainstay  of  the  household.  He  has  for  his  friend 
Mr.  Atherton,  a  botanist  and  naturalist  of  herculean  strength  and 
unfailing  nerve  and  humor.  In  the  adventures  among  the  Maoris, 
there  are  many  breathless  moments  in  which  the  odds  seem  hope- 
lessly against  the  party,  but  they  succeed  in  establishing  them 
selves  happily  in  one  of  the  pleasant  New  Zealand  valleys. 

"Brimful  of  adventure,  of  humorous  and  interesting  conversation,  and 
vivid  pictures  of  colonial  life.11 — Schoolmaster. 

Julian  MortimerJ:  A  Brave  Boy's  Struggle  for  Home  and  Fortune. 

By  Harry  Castlemon.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

Here  is  a  story  that  will  warm  every  boy's  heart.  There  is 
mystery  enough  to  keep  any  lad's  imagination  wound  up  to  the 
highest  pitch.  The  scene  of  the  story  lies  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River,  in  the  days  when  emigrants  made  their  perilous  way  across 
the  great  plains  to  the  land  of  gold  One  of  the  startling  features 
of  the  book  is  the  attack  upon  the  wagon  train  by  a  large  party  of 
Indians.  Our  hero  is  a  lad  of  uncommon  nerve  and  pluck,  a  brave 
young  American  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  He  enlists  and  holds 
the  reader's  sympathy  from  the  outset.  Surrounded  by  an  un- 
known and  constant  peril,  and  assisted  by  the  unswerving  fidelity 
of  a  stalwart  trapper,  a  real  rough  diamond,  our  hero  achieves  the 
most  happy  results.  Harry  Castlemon  has  written  many  enter- 
taining stories  for  boys,  and  it  would  seem  almost  superfluous  to 
say  anything  in  his  praise,  for  the  youth  of  America  regard  him 
as  a  favorite  author. 

"Carrots:"  Just  a  Little  Boy.     By  Mrs.  Molesworth.     With 
Illustrations  by  Walter  Crane.     12mo,  cloth,  price  75  cents, 
"  One  of  the  cleverest  and  most  pleasing  stories  it  has  been  our  good  for- 
tune to  meet  with  for  some  time.    Carrots  and  his  sister  are  delightful  little 
beings,  whom  to  read  about  is  at  once  to  become  very  fond  of."— Examiner. 
"A  genuine  children's  book;  we've  seen  'em  seize  it,  and  read  it  greedily. 
Children  are  first-rate  critics,  and  thoroughly  appreciate  Walter  Crane's 
illustrations."— Punch. 

Mopsa  the   Fairy.      By  Jean  Ingelow.      With  Eight  page 

Illustrations.     12mo,  cloth,  price  75  cents. 

■'  Mrs.  Ingelow  is,  to  our  mind,  the  most  charming  of  all  living  writers  foj. 
children,  and  'Mopsa'  alone  ought  to  give  her  a  kind  of  pre-emptive  right  to 
the  love  and  gratitude  of  our  young  folks.  It  requires  genius  to  conceive  a 
purely  imaginary  work  which  must  of  necessity  deal  with  the  supernatural, 
without  running  into  a  mere  rior  of  fantastic  absurdity;  but  genius  Miss  In- 
gelow has  and  the  story  of  '  Jack  '  is  as  careless  and  joycus,  but  as  delicate, 
as  a  picture  of  childhood."  —Eclectic. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS,  11 

A  Jaunt  Through  Java :  The  Story  of  a  Journey  to  the  Sacred 
Mountain.  By  Edward  S.  Ellis.  12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
The  central  interest,  of  this  story  is  found  in  the  thrilling  ad- 
ventures of  two  cousins,  Hermon  and  Eustace  Hadley,  on  their 
trip  across  the  island  of  Java,  from  Samarang  to  the  Sacred  Moun- 
tain. In  a  land  where  the  Royal  Bengal  tiger  runs  at  large; 
where  the  rhinoceros  and  other  fierce  blasts  are  to  be  met  with 
at  unexpected  moments;  it  is  but  natural  that  the  heroes  of  this 
book  should  have  a  lively  experience.  Hermon  not  only  dis« 
tinguishes  himself  by  killing  a  full  grown  tiger  at  short  range, 
but  meets  with  the  most  startling  adventure  of  the  journey. 
There  is  much  in  this  narrative  to  instruct  as  well  a~  entertain  the 
reader,  and  so  deftly  has  Mr.  Ellis  used  his  material  that  there  is 
i  ot  a  dull  page  in  the  book.  The  two  heroes  are  brave,  manly 
young  fellows,  bubbling  over  with  boyish  independence.  They 
cope  with  the  many  difficulties  that  arise  during  the  trip  in  a  fear- 
less way  that  is  bound  to  win  the  admiration  of  every  lad  who  is 
so  fortunate  as  to  read  their  adventures. 

Wrecked  on  Spider  Island;  or,  How  Ned  Rogers  Found  the 
Treasure.  By  James  Otis.  12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
A.  "  down-east"  plucky  lad  who  ships  as  cabin  boy,  not  from 
love  of  adventure,  but  because  it  is  the  only  course  remaining  by 
which  he  can  gain  a  livelihood.  While  in  his  bunk,  seasick, 
Ned  Rogers  hears  the  captain  and  mate  discussing  their  plans  for 
the  willful  wreck  of  the  brig  in  order  to  gain  the  insurance.  Once 
it  is  known  he  is  in  possession  of  the  secret  the  captain  maroons 
him  on  Spider  Island,  explaining  to  the  crew  that  the  boy  is 
afflicted  with  leprosy.  While  thus  involuntarily  playing  the  part 
of  a  Crusoe,  Ned  discovers  a  wreck  submerged  in  the  sand,  and 
overhauling  the  timbers  for  the  purpose  of  gathering  material 
with  which  to  build  a  hut  finds  a  considerable  amount  of  treasure. 
Raising  the  wreck;  a  voyage  to  Havana  under  sail;  shipping  there 
a  crew  and  running  for  Savannah;  the  attempt  of  the  crew  to 
seize  the  little  craft  after  learning  of  the  treasure  on  board,  and, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  the  successful  ending  of  the  journey,  all 
serve  to  make  as  entertaining  a  story  of  sea-life  as  the  most 
captious  boy  could  desire. 

Geoff  and  Jim:  A  Story  of  School  Life.     By  Ismay  Thorn     II 

lustrated  by  A.  G.  Walker.     12mo,  cloth,  price  75  cents. 

"  This  is  a  prettily  told  story  of  the  life  spent  by  two  motherless  bairns  at 
a  small  preparatory  school.  Both  Geoff  and  Jim  are  very  lovable  characters, 
only  Jim  is  the  more  so;  and  the  scrapes  he  gets  into  and  the  trials  he  en- 
dures will  po  doubt,  interest  a  large  circle  of  young  readers.  "—Church 
Times. 

"This  is  a  capital  children's  story,  the  characters  well  portrayed,  and  the 
book  tastefully  bound  and  well  illustrated.'' '—Schoolmaster. 

"The  story  can  be  heartily  recommended  as  a  present  for  boys."— 
Standard. 


13  A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

The  Castaways  ;  or,  On  the  Florida  Reefs.     By  James  Otis. 

12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

This  tale  smacks  of  the  salt  sea.  It  is  just  the  kind  of  story 
that  the  majority  of  boys  yearn  for.  From  the  moment  that  the 
Sea  Queen  dispenses  with  the  servicer  of  the  tug  in  lower  New 
York  bay  till  the  breeze  leaves  her  becalmed  off  the  coast  of 
Florida,  one  can  almost  hear  the  whistle  of  the  wind  thro  i^h  her 
rigging,  the  creak  of  her  straining  cordage  as  she  heel;  to  the 
leeward,  and  feel  her  rise  to  the  snow-capped  waves  winch  her 
sharp  bow  cuts  into  twin  streaks  of  foam.  Off  Marquesas  Keys 
she  floats  in  a  dead  calm.  Ben  Clark,  the  hero  of  the  story,  and 
Jake,  the  cook,  spy  a  turtle  asleep  upon  the  glassy  surface  of  the 
water.  They  determine  to  capture  him,  and  take  a  boat  for  that 
purpose,  and  just  as  they  succeed  in  catching  him  a  thick  fog 
cuts  them  off  from  the  vessel,  and  then  their  troubles  be,i.in. 
They  take  refuge  on  board  a  drifting  hulk,  a  storm  arises  and  they 
are  cast  ashore  upon  a  low  sandy  key.  Their  adventures  from 
this  point  cannot  fail  to  charm  the  reader.  As  a  writer  for  young 
people  Mr.  Otis  is  a  prime  favorite.  His  style  is  captivating,  and 
never  for  a  moment  does  he  allow  the  interest  to  flag.  In  "  The 
Castaways  "  he  is  at  his  best. 

Tom  Thatcher's  Fortune.    By  Hokatio  Alger,  Jr.     12mo, 

cloth,  price  $1.00. 

Like  all  of  Mr.  Alger's  heroes,  Tom  Thatcher  is  a  brave,  am- 
bitious, unselfish  boy.  He  supports  his  mother  and  sister  on 
meager  wages  earned  as  a  shoe-pegger  in  John  Simpson's  factory. 
The  story  begins  with  Tom's  discharge  from  the  factory,  because 
Mr.  Simpson  felt  annoyed  with  the  lad  for  interrogating  him  too 
closely  about  his  missing  father.  A  few  days  afterward  Tom 
learns  that  which  induces  him  to  start  overland  for  California  with 
the  view  of  probing  the  family  mystery.  He  meets  with  many  ad- 
ventures. Ultimately  he  returns  to  his  native  village,  bringing  con- 
sternation to  the  soul  of  John  Simpson,  who  only  escapes  the  con- 
sequences of  his  villainy  by  making  full  restitution  to  the  man 
whose  friendship  he  had  betrayed.  The  story  is  told  in  that  en- 
tertaining way  which  has  made  Mr.  Alger's  name  a  household 
word  in  so  many  homes. 

Birdie  :  A  Tale  of  Child  Life.     By  H.  L.  Childe-Pemberton 

Illustrated  by  H.  W.  Rainey.     12mo,  cloth,  price  75  cents. 

"  The  story  is  quaint  and  simple,  but  there  is  a  freshness  about  it  that 
makes  one  hear  again  the  ringing  laugh  and  the  cheery  shout  of  children  at 
play  which  charmed  his  earlier  years."— New  York  Express. 

Popular  Fairy  Tales.    By  the  Brothers  Grimm.     Profusely 

Illustrated,  12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

"  From  first  to  last,  almost  without  exception,  these  stories  are  delightful." 
— Athenozum. 


